# What are you giving up for Lent? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 5, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225 "2003-03-05T13:09:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225/21 "2003-03-05T22:02:54Z")
Well, I hate cleaning out that little screen in the dryer, so I’ll be air-drying my laundry in the back yard. Yes, I’m giving up lint for Lent. ---
**Author:** ![racekarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6bbea6/32.png) [@racekarl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racekarl)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225/22 "2003-03-05T23:05:22Z")
Hmm… Maybe a better thing would be for you all to give up mocking other peoples’ beliefs. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225/23 "2003-03-05T23:37:46Z")
Well, I’m not Catholic or even Christian, for that matter. I teach across the hall from a very devout lady, and she was worried about giving up something for lent. She wanted to give up potato chips, but didn’t think she could do it. I offered to give them up for 40 days, too, to give her some support. I think it will be an interesting exercise in willpower, but, as it’s not hurting\* anyone, I don’t think it’s really all that big of a deal for me to participate, too. \*meaning that it’s not hurting anyone for me and my coworker to give up potato chips. ---
**Author:** ![typhoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed8c4c/32.png) [@typhoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typhoon)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225/24 "2003-03-05T23:42:32Z")
Or paradoxes. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225/25 "2003-03-06T02:13:03Z")
I do believe (sorry, no cite, so I may be wrong) that originally the thing you gave up for Lent was supposed to be _permanently_ given up. Even I’m not that masochistic, though. 😉 Myself? I’ll actually put in an honest response: I’m fasting for the 40 days. No, I’m not going to stop eating for 40 days; I’m having one regular meal and two small (not smaller, small) meals per day. Gah, I hate Fish Fry Fridays. I _hate_ fish! ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225/26 "2003-03-06T03:00:53Z")
**zweisamkeit** - I eat fish in a spirit of penance. Really. I hate fish, too. StG ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225/27 "2003-03-06T03:11:14Z")
I’m not exactly sure WHAT I can give up. I don’t eat sugar, caffeine, or meat as it is. I have a feeling I’ll be giving up alcohol. _sob_. Ava ---
**Author:** ![ScorpioStem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@ScorpioStem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScorpioStem)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225/28 "2003-03-06T06:59:01Z")
Iced tea. It is going to be hell since it is the only thing that I drink besides water. …Only 39 days left to go. ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225/29 "2003-03-06T08:47:07Z")
I don’t understand why so many people feel the need to openly mock the custom of Lent. I’m not Catholic, or even Christian – I’m Pagan. I’ve given up red meat for a lunar month before (a big thing for me, I ate a lot of it) as part of a solstice observance. It’s not about self-flagellation or self-righteousness. It’s about conviction, belief, and reevaluation of the importance things have in your life. If you think it’s just an archaic pile of crap, then don’t participate. Yeesh. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225/30 "2003-03-06T10:40:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racekarl \* > \*\*Hmm… > > Maybe a better thing would be for you all to give up mocking other peoples’ beliefs. > > :rolleyes: \*\* OK…I was trying to figure out what I could ‘give-up’, and seeing as LINT has already been baggsed by **Cervaise** , I’m going to try to relinquish MOCKING. It’ll be damned hard I tell ya, but I’ll be a better person at the end. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225/31 "2003-03-06T17:34:32Z")
Faberge Eggs. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225/32 "2003-03-06T17:42:36Z")
Hope. I’m giving up hope for Lent. And the President of the United States is _helping me_. ---
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225/33 "2003-03-06T18:23:59Z")
No fair Bosda, you took mine! Oh, that’s ok, I heard that one on the radio this morning. I find it interesting that the religious appear to be more tolerant than the atheists. I even found that to be true when I was an atheist. And what ever happened to the “i before e rule”? I’m protestant and never gave anything up for Lent. It wasn’t until I was in my thirties that I discovered that many protestants do. I think it would be a good exercise. I’ve given up weekday abstinence, but that was based on a Scientific American article on the health benefits of moderate amounts of alcohol, so I don’t think it counts. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225/34 "2003-03-06T19:10:33Z")
We should give up sin for lent, then when Easter comes we can all get back to sinning with new and improved vigor. Cheers, Bippy [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/159225.md?page=1)