# what are you giving up for lent? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 27, 2000, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/14127 "2000-02-27T04:51:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tenspeedjohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tenspeedjohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tenspeedjohn)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2000, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/14127/21 "2000-02-27T23:47:00Z")
I’m giving up religeon for lent. ---
**Author:** ![Jeannie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@Jeannie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeannie)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/14127/22 "2000-02-28T00:16:00Z")
In response to an earlier question about why Catholics give up stuff for Lent: In my twelve years of Catholic school the concensus among my religion teachers was basically this: Jesus gave up his life to forgive our sins (not to mention his forty days of fasting). The least we can do is give up something for the forty days of Lent. It’s supposed to make us realize what He did for us. One of my teachers said that it is okay now to (instead of giving something up) do something to better ourselves (i.e. learn something new, start eating better, excercising, etc). The whole meatless Friday thing is for anyone 14 or older, unless your health requires that you have to eat meat. Also, my aunt once said that we didn’t have to follow that on holy days during Lent. For instance, it would be okay to eat corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day. I’m not sure if that’s true, though. ---
**Author:** ![OldBroad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@OldBroad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldBroad)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/14127/23 "2000-02-28T01:47:00Z")
Procrastination That will be a big sacrifice if I can really do it. Procrastination is my favorite activity. ---
**Author:** ![OldBroad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@OldBroad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldBroad)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/14127/24 "2000-02-28T01:48:00Z")
Correction: my second favorite activity. ---
**Author:** ![APB9999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB9999](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB9999)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/14127/25 "2000-02-28T03:38:00Z")
This year, I’m giving up Lent for Advent. ---
**Author:** ![Pooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dbc845/32.png) [@Pooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pooch)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/14127/26 "2000-02-28T05:01:00Z")
Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/14127/27 "2000-02-28T05:06:00Z")
usually try to give up that ol’demon liquor, but usually fall off the wagon about the third week. * * * and the stars o’erhead were dancing heel to toe ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/14127/28 "2000-02-28T06:38:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by OldBroad: > \*\*Procrastination > > That will be a big sacrifice if I can really do it. Procrastination is my favorite activity.\*\* So you’re putting off procrastinating until after Lent? Tee-hee. Even though I’m not Catholic, I usually give up something to see if I can actually do it. This year I’m giving up peanut butter and smoking. Hopefully, I can continue not smoking after Lent is over. ::crosses fingers:: * * * Mt. Dew habit kicked since 2/21/00! ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/14127/29 "2000-02-28T13:10:00Z")
All you cradle Catholics are to be sent to your room for catechism study for not knowing what Lent is all about. Let me enlighten you. Lent is our humble way of recreating the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert, with nothing to eat but grasshoppers (and presumably cactus juice, though none of the apostles remembered to put this in). In any event, during this time, Jesus spent a lot of time praying and reflecting, as there was no cable t.v. in Jesus’s day. During this time, Satan paid him several visits, tempting him into the world of sin and debauchery… by inviting him to the Narazeth gathering of Dopers and, ultimately, flashing pictures of Ashley Judd and leering, “See what you’re missing, holy man?” Okay, okay, I made some of that up, but you get the picture. In any event, since we’re a lot weaker than Jesus was, Lent is our little way of recreating this time by “fasting” and reflecting on how we can become stronger in our faith. A little simplistic, but there it is. BTW, I’m giving up sweets. Lisa (shoving ThinMints in her mouth) ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/14127/30 "2000-02-28T16:18:00Z")
We are reminded of the parable of the newlyweds. On their wedding night the young groom made his bed on the living room sofa. The puzzled bride asked him why he did this and he replied, “it’s lent.” The tearful bride choked out, “lent to whom and for how long?” I was raised Catholic but didn’t have the attention span required for catechism to sink in. I remember going every Saturday, I remember the classrooms at Sacred Heart parish in Tucson, I remember the big scary nuns but it gets fuzzy beyond that. The best example of my six-year-old cluelessness was when my public school teacher was checking if any of us were prohibited by religion from the pledge of allegiance and asked what faith we all were. I knew that I had been baptized, ergo I must be a Baptist. Just for typing that I’m expecting a nun to come into my cubicle and beat my hand with a steel ruler. 😃 * * * Do I believe in infant baptism? I’ve even seen it \done\. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/14127.md?page=1)