# What, If Anything, Are You Giving Up For Lent? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 7, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851 "2005-02-07T18:48:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/1 "2005-02-07T18:48:25Z")
\ What, if anything, are you giving up for Lent? I’ll be doing without chocoate. Anyone that knows me well could tell you what an incredible sacrifice this is … I better get damn good accomodations in Heaven for this. Now, back to that case of Peppermint Patties… ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/2 "2005-02-07T18:54:18Z")
Not giving up anything evident. But I’ll be spending all of it with my mother, except one week that she’ll be going up to Grandma’s (yesterday Grandma asked “when is your boy getting that place he’s buying?”, which is tantamount to “when can Grandpa and me move in?”: it almost gave Mom a heart attack, so she decided on a preemptive strike). Methinks that’s enough of a sacrifice. Heck, I’ll need extra chocolate just to survive it… (goes off in search of that box of Lindt’s she got with her Xmas box from work) ---
**Author:** ![stargazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@stargazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stargazer)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/3 "2005-02-08T00:37:38Z")
I’ll be giving up TV… sort of. See, right now, I come home from work and turn on the TV, and it only turns off if we go somewhere or when we go to bed. So, for Lent, I’ll be limiting my TV time to only 1-1/2 hrs. each day. That will let me watch 1 episode of _Good Eats_ and 1 episode of _Law & Order_, and that’s it. No more idly flipping around if I don’t have something specific to watch; I’ll have to be intentional about it. It’s really going to throw the cats off, though; they’re used to the electronic “TV turning off” noise meaning dinnertime. 😃 ---
**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 8, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/4 "2005-02-08T01:38:17Z")
Complaining. Really. Bad, destructive habit that I have. I may not be able to stop completely, but I’m certainly going to try to cut down. How long before someone really, really clever comes in and says, “I’m giving up Lent for Lent!”? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/5 "2005-02-08T01:47:29Z")
> [@plnnr](#): > > \ > > What, if anything, are you giving up for Lent? > > I’ll be doing without chocoate. Anyone that knows me well could tell you what an incredible sacrifice this is … I better get damn good accomodations in Heaven for this. > > Now, back to that case of Peppermint Patties… 😃 If I were to give up something for Lent, chocolate would be the toughest to give up. Since I won’t be giving up anything - well, I’ll eat your share as well. ---
**Author:** ![Poonther](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Poonther](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poonther)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/6 "2005-02-08T02:10:22Z")
Organized religion ---
**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:** [February 8, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/7 "2005-02-08T04:26:18Z")
From [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=298859) thread: > [@](#): > > Instead of giving something up this year, I’m going to try to take up my prayer life again. I’d been devoting an hour a day to prayer, but I sort of fell out of it. I’ve lost my spiritual connection, I don’t know how. But I do know that there is a direct correlation between the effort I put into it and what I get out of it. And being lazy hasn’t made me feel any better. So for Lent I’m going to renew my spiritual commitment. StG ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/8 "2005-02-08T05:21:15Z")
An HOUR a day praying? What could anyone possibly have to pray about that they need to pray this much? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/9 "2005-02-08T05:35:45Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > An HOUR a day praying? What could anyone possibly have to pray about that they need to pray this much? If the original post had said “an hour a day meditating”, would you have had the same reaction? ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/10 "2005-02-08T07:37:29Z")
I’m giving up giving things up for Lent… for Lent. ---
**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:** [February 8, 2005, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/11 "2005-02-08T07:42:37Z")
I’m giving up crabmeat. I’m allergic to it, anyway. ---
**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:** [February 8, 2005, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/12 "2005-02-08T15:31:39Z")
**Blalron** - I pray (and meditate) the rosary, to begin with. I then try for silent, meditative prayer, and then I pray for friends, family, etc. StG ---
**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 8, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/13 "2005-02-08T16:02:27Z")
The rosary takes me a good half hour. Two would be an hour at least. If I were really ambitious I’d pray all the Mysteries every Saunday. That’s what, two and a half hours? Goodness. I’m going to read the psalms every day, pray the rosary every day, _and_ give up complaining, too. I think that’s enough for this Lent. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/14 "2005-02-08T22:00:53Z")
I finally decided to give up the most precious thing I have… Jesus. Hell if the relationship between me and Christ is suppose to be the most precious thing in life, giving him up is the ultimate sacrifice. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/15 "2005-02-08T22:49:31Z")
Chocolate. God help me. And God help us all. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![laurelann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5daacb/32.png) [@laurelann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/laurelann)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/16 "2005-02-08T23:21:45Z")
I’m giving up soda. I know it’s really “Mom’smakingmegivesomethingupforLent,soI’lldothis,” but I really do drink way too much soda. I should try drinking more water, too. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/17 "2005-02-09T01:21:57Z")
In his sermon at this morning’s Ash Wednesday mass the priest suggested that we “do spiritual / penitential things” rather then “give something up”. But after mass at the back of the church there was all the usual gossip about “what are you giving up?” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/18 "2005-02-09T02:24:23Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > I finally decided to give up the most precious thing I have… > Jesus. Hell if the relationship between me and Christ is suppose to be the most precious thing in life, giving him up is the ultimate sacrifice. :rolleyes: Gosh, If I saw a “What Wiccan goddess do you admire the most?” thread and I didn’t believe, I’d simply bypass the thread. Posting something snarky about someone’s God is pretty obnoxious. For Lent, we’re all giving up snacks. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/19 "2005-02-13T16:17:00Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > If the original post had said “an hour a day meditating”, would you have had the same reaction? Having a one way conversation for an hour is a different kettle of fish from calming and focusing the mind. ---
**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 13, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851/20 "2005-02-13T16:28:47Z")
Uh, meditating can be a form of prayer. Prayer isn’t necessarily chattering. Contemplation and meditation are both forms of prayer that have been practised by Christians for centuries. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-anything-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/288851.md?page=2)