Giving Things Up For Lent

[LBIJim]

i was raised Catholic, but abandoned it by the time I graduated college. Do devout Catholics, or even those who just follow tradition, still abstain from certain things during Lent?

I still refrain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays during Lent. In fact, many Fridays throughout the year DW and I eat fish, but that's because we like seafood.

As kids, we were supposed to abstain from eating candy, or drinking soda, or other such things. Shrewd kids said they were giving up Hershey bars (which allowed themselves to eat Nestle). The nuns in Catholic school would often ask what we intended to give up. Some wiseguys said they would be telling the nun they'd be giving up doing homework, or going to church. But when called on, they'd chicken out. Probably because they feared getting smacked with the yardstick.

I suppose I could give up Hershey's chocolate, as long as British Cadbury is available.

(Hope this post doesn't violate board religion discussion policy).

 

[Disneylover99]

My dad gives up bread, butter and alcohol for Lent each year. I give up inviting him over for dinner.

 

[lauradis]

I gave up all churches in general. How many post, till they shut this one down.

 

[melissakrichards]

I give up something & replace it with something every year. Not that I'm super religious or anything, actually the opposite I just enjoy the practice.

I think I'm giving up hot showers this year & replacing it with 10 minutes of quit time everyday to just focus/meditate/pray.

 

[teacherlisa1978]

Catholic school teacher here. Giving up fast food and swearing. Focusing on working out at least 4 days per week. For everyone I miss, I'm putting $5 in the rice bowl.

 

[disney world dreamer]

i'm catholic and i always give something up for lent.
this year i'm giving something up and trying to do something as well.
i'm giving up soda (i already decided that if i'm sick i will allow myself 7up since it helps with stomach aches, feels good on a sore throat, and has electrolytes to help with dehydration. although i'm just now getting over a cold/flu i've had for 2+ weeks so i'm hoping to not get sick again during lent).
i'm also going to try very hard to exercise monday-friday during letn.

i also refrain from eating meat on ash wed and on fridays.
for me this means having a very limited amount of options since i hate seafood.
every friday during lent my family go out for a fish fry and i end up ordering mac n cheese and a salad.

i also go to mass on ash wed to get my ashes.

and i go to church almost every sunday of the year so lent is no different.
we even went this past sunday when the bishop gave us a "cold day" and said we did not have to attend church since the temps were -10*F and the wind chill was -35*F.

 

[Oodalally13]

Dad used to be catholic, but still does lent and gives up sodas every year and eats fish on Ash Wednesday and Fridays.

 

[glaserjm]

I have always tried to do something positive rather than giving something up for Lent. I know people who give certain things up, usually the same thing every year, but then they give themselves dispensations for just about everything to the point where it doesn't really seem like a sacrifice. I think just being more reflective or mindful is just as good as not eating chocolate.

 

[tina.tina]

I am not Catholic or any denomination that really observes Lent. Last year, I saw a Lent thread here on the DIS and decided to give up potato chips. (I had really gotten hooked on them when I bought some for an easy sandwich/chips lunch in case the electricity went out last winter.) I stuck to it and I liked the daily emphasis to be spiritually mindful. This year, I'm doing something really hard. I am giving up snacks. I have really started snacking since I am home alone a lot during the day. So, for Lent, I plan to only eat at meal times. I like the idea of giving something up and starting something new but I've got a lot of studying for the next several months to occupy me.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Catholic. We abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and every Friday throughout Lent. We changed from "giving something up" to "doing something to improve our lives" when the children started Catholic School.

We don't always make church on Sunday but have never missed Holy Week before Easter. To me it is the most calming week in my year.

 

[sukhakuli]

Catholic here. We're fasting tomorrow. Not Catholic fasting, but real fasting. The kids will eat, but no meat. You don't have to give something up, you can do something, so dh and I are exchanging our evening pleasure reading for biblical texts.

 

[AustinTink]

Catholic family with a teen in Catholic School. Two of his teachers are nuns (sisters, actually... there is a difference) and the school is very rigid about no meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays. My kid doesn't like cheese, peanut butter, or fish so his lunch tomorrow and on Fridays will be pretty puny. Fruit and a muffin usually. For a big guy like him, that's real fasting.

Other than meat on those days, we don't give up anything.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Catholic family with a teen in Catholic School. Two of his teachers are nuns (sisters, actually... there is a difference) and the school is very rigid about no meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays. My kid doesn't like cheese, peanut butter, or fish so his lunch tomorrow and on Fridays will be pretty puny. Fruit and a muffin usually. For a big guy like him, that's real fasting.

Other than meat on those days, we don't give up anything.

Have you tried hummus with crackers, veggies with ranch/blue cheese, noodles with butter, french toast (if they have a microwave they can be reheated, if not, with cinnamon/sugar on them in sticks works great). If I think about it I can come up with others we have sent with our children throughout the years.

 

[AustinTink]

Have you tried hummus with crackers, veggies with ranch/blue cheese, noodles with butter, french toast (if they have a microwave they can be reheated, if not, with cinnamon/sugar on them in sticks works great). If I think about it I can come up with others we have sent with our children throughout the years.

I've done noodles with butter and veggies/ranch. They have two microwaves at the school for 370 kids. So he never wants anything that needs to be heated. Used to do yogurt, but that's now on the list of things he is sick of eating. So I tell him to grab some muffins and fruit and hit the road. He will live. I just worry because he has sports practice everyday and needs that protein to keep going.

 

[Saimaeve]

Do Catholics still abstain? Yes. My ex was Catholic and we went through RCIA together during Lent. It was discussed at length. That year I gave up caffeine, meat, and fasted once a week. (Not a smart idea for me)

I gave up church not long after.

I see even non religious people give stuff up for Lent. It seems a lot of my friends gave up Facebook. I cannot do that. (Seriously, lol I work in social media)

I've considered trying to give something up, but don't really know what I would do. I don't eat a lot of red meat, I don't drink very often, I don't watch a lot of television. I guess I could give up LEGO...that seems to be one of my biggest vices...

 

[scrhsa]

Im Catholic. I've actually been called one of "those" Catholics Why? Because not only do I abstain from meat during lent, I do all year...I know...gasp I'll be giving up unnecessary shopping, then at the end I'll add up the cost of all the things I wanted to buy and give it to the church. I'll give up small things daily and I'll be adding some things as well.

 

[topolino]

I give up something & replace it with something every year. Not that I'm super religious or anything, actually the opposite I just enjoy the practice.

I think I'm giving up hot showers this year & replacing it with 10 minutes of quit time everyday to just focus/meditate/pray.

I think the person in front of me in line at WalMart yesterday has done the same.

 

[kamik86]

I was raised catholic and was very much a religious person as a child. Honestly I still am somewhat but I have kind of given up on the church as an institution. I was in high school in MA during the time that MA became the first state to legalized same sex marriage. Some of the things I saw from the church as an institution (priests, bishops, and those that spoke officially for the church not just the parishioners) turned me off from it.

At that point I started to think about the reasons behind many of these rules. I think giving up things for lent if done should be something that either brings you closer to God or that benefits those around you in some way. Otherwise its basically like a new years resolution but short term.

Same with the not eating meat. This was a practice started in an area where seafood was prevalent and meat was rare and expensive (you can see many other references to this in the Bible) I have been told that the reason for giving up meat was to spend less on your families dinner for that meal and give the excess so those without food could eat. That makes much more sense to me. Otherwise what is the point. It just seems like an arbitrary rule otherwise. However now that means you can't have a piece of chicken or a hamburger, but you can have a lobster dinner.

For myself I have been working on several things to better myself, some which involve giving something up, others that don't. I'll simply continue those.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

The religion in which I was raised one was meant to abstain from meat (including seafood), dairy, and oil for the entire 40 days.

The first week of lent includes a full fast (no food) from Monday-Wed. And then the last week from Thursday evening until Easter.

I always thought the Catholic way of giving "something" up was easy lol.

I don't intent to follow these rules when lent starts next week. I'm not religious and don't usually do anything particular for lent. Though I do occasionally attend church on good friday and easter because theyre beautiful services.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I was raised Catholic but converted to American Baptist in college. American Baptists don't really do the "give something up for lent" thing. At least it's not something talked about at worship.

I'm still thinking about what I'm giving up for Lent. Probably red meat (or meat in general) or sweets.

I'm also seriously considering fasting on Fridays.