# What are you giving up for Lent? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 24, 2004, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921 "2004-02-24T16:41:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Qwisp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qwisp/32/397_2.png) [@Qwisp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwisp)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/41 "2004-02-26T05:47:56Z")
I was going to give up drinking, but seeing as I’m currently drinking a glass of wine I guess that’s out. I am committed to giving up gambling though. No more lottery tickets, machines at the bar or going to the boats. I’m hoping to give it up for all time. I’m hoping Lent will be the catalyst that makes it happen. ---
**Author:** ![whippingboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/54ee81/32.png) [@whippingboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whippingboy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/42 "2004-02-26T12:42:05Z")
masterbation porn so don’t buy shares in kleenex ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/43 "2004-02-26T12:42:38Z")
Nail-biting, and posting on the SDMB from work, except when I’m early or during my breaks. That’s going to be really hard, especially since I don’t have a computer at home. I miss you guys already! ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/44 "2004-02-26T16:51:49Z")
I was going to ask about what **DaisyFace** brought up - do Sundays count? I’ve heard differing opinions on this - any opinions. If this is too much of a hijack feel free to ignore 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/45 "2004-02-26T23:47:37Z")
Food, on Fridays. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_Heart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Angel\_Heart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_Heart)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/46 "2004-02-27T15:12:00Z")
Candy and chips. I didn’t want to pick something I know I would backslide on, like TV or posting here, and I live with my parents and this gives them an excuse not to buy junk food just because “It’s for **Angel Heart** ” I’m AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Zion and we don’t officially observe Lent, but I think it’s important and perhaps spending five years in an Episcopalian school has influenced me as well. ---
**Author:** ![tigereye001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tigereye001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tigereye001)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/47 "2004-02-27T15:51:41Z")
I’m giving up Lent for Lent. ---
**Author:** ![brix11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@brix11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brix11)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/48 "2004-02-27T19:17:40Z")
I’m giving up candy for Lent, not because of my faith, but more as an excuse to practice a little self-control. We keep a basket of candy in the office from which I normally take more than my fair share. My boss just filled with mini Twix, Snickers, Three Musketeers, etc.–pure torture. I used to give up chocolate altogether, but that was too hard. I may not be able to have a chocolate bar, but I can at least have hot chocolate or ice cream or OREOs. Incidentally, I am a big fan of Thin Mints cookies, which those in the U.S. may know, are normally sold this time of year by Girl Scouts. If I give up candy, my wife insists that the chocolate coating on these cookies should count. Would you agree? ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2004, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/49 "2004-02-27T20:33:19Z")
> [@Lissla Lissar](#): > > Some friends of mine have got their Lent cut out for them- they’re becoming Catholic on Easter (first communion) and they just told their parents. One family’s really really upset (they’re Free Brethren and anti-Catholic). My mother, sister, and I did this Easter 1984. ---
**Author:** ![Flowerchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/858c86/32.png) [@Flowerchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flowerchild)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/50 "2004-02-27T21:27:06Z")
I’m just barely a Catholic, but I still give up things for lent just humor my mother. This year I gave up soda, Candy (Particularly Skittles), and fast food in general. Its day 2 of lent and I’ve already drank soda, but the other 2 are going strong. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2004, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/51 "2004-02-27T21:56:29Z")
**brix** , I think the Thin Mints are fair game. You’d be allowed to eat Chips Ahoy, right? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/52 "2004-02-27T23:45:26Z")
Just so y’all know: Fasting is theologically defined as having three meals, and the sum of the two smaller meals cannot exceed the larger meal. And **Qwisp** , you can still give up alcohol, you just have to confess that you failed your Lenten sacrifice that time. I’m giving up ice cream and hot dogs. There’s a half-empty package in the fridge right now, and it sometimes takes a lot of willpower not to reach in and have one. I’m also going to write at least twenty lines of code a day, since it makes me better at it, makes me more disciplined, and stretches my intellectual abilities by making me be creative, logical, and rigorous, all at the same time. Given that I’ve written something like eight or nine hundred command lines, and three or four thousand bytes, in five days, this shouldn’t be hard. (I wonder what the conversion rate from content to bytes is…Does it go by command lines, full lines of text, lines occupied?) ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecc23a/32.png) [@Uncle\_Dragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Dragon)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/53 "2004-02-28T00:31:20Z")
I’m going alcohol free for Lent, which had been going well until the day I had at work set in. A tall cool one right now would taste very fine. I don’t know whether you’re supposed to include Sundays or not, but for me it feels like cheating to take the day off. I think it would actually be harder for me to stick to this if I didn’t go for the whole time to Easter. ---
**Author:** ![DaisyFace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@DaisyFace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaisyFace)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/54 "2004-02-28T04:30:48Z")
My senior year in college I tried to give up my theater thesis for Lent. Auditions were on Ash Wednesday and opening night was the day after Easter. My prof didn’t like my “sacrifice.” As far as taking Sundays “off,” I only leanred this last year when I gave up meat for the whole time (wow, that was hard to do) and when I found out, it actually got easier. I had a day to look forward to, and the treat of a burger made the sacrifice element that much more poignant. It was explained to me that Sunday is supposed to be a day of celebration (or something like that, all I know is that the Reese’s are calling to me as I sit here.) It helped me, but that’s no guarantee for anyone lese. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/55 "2004-02-28T04:49:12Z")
The timing is purely coincidental, but I’m attempting to stop snarking about Mr. Kat’s family turning what could be a fun vacation into the biggest ordeal known to humankind. He’s getting sick of the BS, too, so he doesn’t need to keep hearing about it from me. There will likely be a Pit thread forthcoming to keep my frothing to a minimum. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/56 "2004-02-28T05:03:47Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > I was going to ask about what **DaisyFace** brought up - do Sundays count? > I’ve heard differing opinions on this - any opinions. > > If this is too much of a hijack feel free to ignore 😃 Sunday is always a feast day in the church, because it’s the Lord’s Day (the day of the resurrection). So **DaisyFace** is correct, Sundays are not counted during Lent. It’s 40 days without them. > [@](#): > > 1. Sundays > All Sundays of the year are feasts of our Lord Jesus Christ. – _[Book of Common Prayer, p. 16](http://www.holycross-raleigh.org/bcp/16.html)_ ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/57 "2004-02-28T05:09:09Z")
I’m an agressive carnivore\* so I’m another one who gives up meat for Lent. I don’t “take Sundays off” because I have found that for me personally it’s easier to quit completely. If I look forward to Sundays I tend to _overeat_ what I give up. An acquaintance(_not_ a friend!) once asked me why I was acting “holier than thou” by giving up meat. I replied I wasn’t, that such a sacrifice was not even requirement but more in the nature of a personal spiritual exercise. Each time I deny myself that piece of bacon, or the burgers I _love_ I am reminded of the greater sacrifice that was made for me, and of just how petty my own denial is in comparison. \*Actually I’m an omnivore. I’m like the girl in a story I read, who was teased by her younger brother, with “He says I will eat anything standing still, or even moving slowly.” ---
**Author:** ![Necro\_Romancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Necro\_Romancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necro_Romancer)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/58 "2004-02-28T07:10:52Z")
Pot pie …and all the angel’s cheer… ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/59 "2004-02-28T14:44:15Z")
That’s very cool, **Ginger**. We’ll probably be becoming Catholic at Easter next year, but our families won’t pitch fits. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921/60 "2004-03-02T00:03:59Z")
I’m still hanging in there. I never told anybody it was smart to have the Sec. of Education call the N.E.A. a terrorist organization. Not once. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/230921.md?page=4)