X-treme Lent Ideas

[OkToBeTakei]

All Eastern Orthodox churches practice Lent. It's 50 days of veganism for adults who choose to fast, no going out, no celebrations or dances scheduled, extra services and prayers. In the US, most Eastern Orthodox kids are encouraged to give up something they enjoy for Lent, and most will stop eating meat on Wednesday and Friday. Lent is also the biggest time of year for charitable giving in Eastern Orthodoxy. There are extra weekly Lenten services and extra prayers.

The week before Easter things go up a notch. Services every day, "dry" food on Thursday and Good Friday (no cooking) no media at all on Good Friday.

No way? Good Friday is absolutely Hollywood epic religious movie day. Easter is not Easter without the 'Ten Commandments.' :lol:

[divadivine]

Hmmm maybe I'll actually celebrate lent this year... I'll give up.... being nice.

I like the way you think!

[Loveday]

No way? Good Friday is absolutely Hollywood epic religious movie day. Easter is not Easter without the 'Ten Commandments.' :lol:

We always seem to get The Ten Commandments on Easter Sunday. But we also get Jesus of Nazareth at some point during the weekend. I'm not a huge fan of Biblical epics, but I watch that every time it's on. You can't beat it for sticking to the story, not to mention the star-studded cast! :D

[RachelB]

No way? Good Friday is absolutely Hollywood epic religious movie day. Easter is not Easter without the 'Ten Commandments.' :lol:

A group of friends and I in college watched either "Jesus Christ Superstar" or "The Gospel According to St. Matthew" on Good Friday. The absurdity of Herod in JCS is best appreciated while fasting, in my experience.

[kpmom]

No way? Good Friday is absolutely Hollywood epic religious movie day. Easter is not Easter without the 'Ten Commandments.' :lol:

Very true! Although, when you think about it, the Ten Commandments was more of a Passover movie than Easter. But they always show it on Easter for some reason.

When I was a kid sometimes one of our local tv stations would show the King of Kings on Good Friday. I loved it and didn't realize how cheesy it was until I saw it again as an adult.

[OkToBeTakei]

Only problem now is it's kind of ruined for me as I see Moses and think, 'You can prise this commandment out of my cold dead hands.' :cry:

[Arete]

Nope, no media. No smoking, no cooking, no cleaning. The adult male daycare centers in Greece, the cafeneion, are all closed and hang an Ace of Spades on their doors (I shit you not). It symbolizes they are in such deep mourning they are closed, with no coffee, card games, or betting. It is the one day a year older Greek women bear their crosses bravely and allow their jonesing for a smoke husbands to loiter at home all day. Which is why the women will leave for church most of the day with orders to the headships to be in church at 3 PM.

However, we always caught the Ten Commandments and Jesus of Nazareth growing up because our Easter was a different date. :D

[Savoring Samsara]

This made me laugh inappropriately at work.

I used to give up pop for lent. Another year I wanted to read the bible,so I doubled up during lent and finished the year long schedule early. My roommate gave up eating out last year. We told her she couldn't do that again. I don't like the smell of fish cooking at home, so if we are going to eat it twice a week, there is going to be some fast food/restaurants involved.

The last time I participated in Lent, I gave up believing in hell. Doing it wrong, I know.

This thread also reminds me of Jen Fulwiler's husband giving up drinking wine out of a proper wine glass for Lent and drinking it out of sippy cups instead. There is no way to eyeroll at that as hard as it deserves.

[Mela99]

The last time I participated in Lent, I gave up believing in hell. Doing it wrong, I know.

This thread also reminds me of Jen Fulwiler's husband giving up drinking wine out of a proper wine glass for Lent and drinking it out of sippy cups instead. There is no way to eyeroll at that as hard as it deserves.

Okay, I need some elaboration on this.... did I read that correctly?

[Savoring Samsara]

Okay, I need some elaboration on this.... did I read that correctly?

You did. conversiondiary.com/2013/03/7-quick-takes-friday-vol-211.html

[louisa05]

You did. conversiondiary.com/2013/03/7-quick-takes-friday-vol-211.html

I think if your "sacrifice" is intentionally tiny as she characterizes it, you're doing it wrong. Also, kind of the whole point of the Ash Wednesday gospel is that if you are advertising what you have given up, you are also doing it wrong.

Side note: I read that gospel with my seventh grade confirmation class on Wednesday. It includes the part about not praying on the street corner so you can be seen by others. Kid pipes up and says "wait a minute, does that kind of mean that God doesn't really like it when Tim Tebow prays in front of television cameras?" :lol: It was a great moment!

[elsabee]

That's brilliant.

[Black Aliss]

[My roommate gave up eating out last year. We told her she couldn't do that again. I don't like the smell of fish cooking at home, so if we are going to eat it twice a week, there is going to be some fast food/restaurants involved.

I'm confused. I've heard lot of people say over the years that the worst part of Lent was having to eat/cook fish. I thought the idea was to go without eating meat one or two days a week, not that you were required to eat fish on those days. Does fish have some kind of sacramental meaning?

[louisa05]

I'm confused. I've heard lot of people say over the years that the worst part of Lent was having to eat/cook fish. I thought the idea was to go without eating meat one or two days a week, not that you were required to eat fish on those days. Does fish have some kind of sacramental meaning?

None at all. But a lot of people like my husband are not going to be happy with tofu, beans, or vegetarian lasagna. And the whole fish thing has become kind of tradition during Lent for a lot of people. The church fish fry is an institution in some areas. Around here, people will get together on Fridays and visit a different one each week.

In the U.S., you are only required to give up meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays.

[Miggy]

Biblical lent was meaningless to me. No meat - big deal. Don't eat a lot of meat anyway. No dairy - son with a dairy allergy means I'm use to all the soy alternatives. I decided I needed to give up something that would be really difficult: caffeine. No coke, coffee, tea or chocolate. It is a struggle every single day. It has the added bonus of being something other people don't notice. (Biblical instruction about not drawing attention to yourself.)

[Arete]

Biblical lent was meaningless to me. No meat - big deal. Don't eat a lot of meat anyway. No dairy - son with a dairy allergy means I'm use to all the soy alternatives. I decided I needed to give up something that would be really difficult: caffeine. No coke, coffee, tea or chocolate. It is a struggle every single day. It has the added bonus of being something other people don't notice. (Biblical instruction about not drawing attention to yourself.)

How long do the withdrawal headaches from the lack of morning caffeine last? I only drink one cup of caffeine a day, but by God if I don't have it by mid afternoon my head will pound.

[Rebelwife]

How long do the withdrawal headaches from the lack of morning caffeine last? I only drink one cup of caffeine a day, but by God if I don't have it by mid afternoon my head will pound.

In my experience, it can take up to a week, but if you're only drinking one cup a day it might not be as long. Either way, it's miserable. I had surgery the other day and took a caffeine pill since I couldn't have any coffee that morning rather than deal with a headache on top of surgery pain. I don't even pretend I'm not a hopeless addict. :lol:

[louisa05]

Biblical lent was meaningless to me. No meat - big deal. Don't eat a lot of meat anyway. No dairy - son with a dairy allergy means I'm use to all the soy alternatives. I decided I needed to give up something that would be really difficult: caffeine. No coke, coffee, tea or chocolate. It is a struggle every single day. It has the added bonus of being something other people don't notice. (Biblical instruction about not drawing attention to yourself.)

No meat during Lent is traditional, not Biblical. Lent itself is a traditional Church observation, not something found in the Bible. (Which is why most Protestants do not observe and fundamentalists and many Evangelicals oppose it entirely).

I have heard from various sources that if you are not a meat eater, you should sacrifice some other dietary staple on Lenten Fridays. But not every day.

[OkToBeTakei]

Note to self.

THIS year make a note of all the sweets and crisps you steal from the child's stash and replace them. BAD Mum :lol:

[Savoring Samsara]

In my experience, it can take up to a week, but if you're only drinking one cup a day it might not be as long. Either way, it's miserable. I had surgery the other day and took a caffeine pill since I couldn't have any coffee that morning rather than deal with a headache on top of surgery pain. I don't even pretend I'm not a hopeless addict. :lol:

I gave up my 2 cups of coffee a day before trying to conceive. The first day was horrendous and I ended it with a migraine. The second day I was tired and cranky. By the third I was normal.

[mockingbird]

I haven't done Lent in a few years but I did like her point about how 40 days is enough time to establish a new habit or break an old one, even though her suggestions got pretty extreme. (I'm not sure if that was in this Lent post or another one... she has at least two and I've read almost all of her blog now I think lol.)

[Aurora rising]

How long do the withdrawal headaches from the lack of morning caffeine last? I only drink one cup of caffeine a day, but by God if I don't have it by mid afternoon my head will pound.

2-3 days (sorry!)

I´m not following Lent because I´m a Muslima but I fast during Ramadan. I´m not allowed to fast "real" because of 2 sicknesses but I try to give up things I like. Last year I gave up sugar, meat and white flour and reduced my coffee a lot. This year I´m thinking about going vegan for the whole month and giving up coffee completely. I also try to watch and read only "good" stuff, nothing shallow or stupid.

[Jenny]

None at all. But a lot of people like my husband are not going to be happy with tofu, beans, or vegetarian lasagna. And the whole fish thing has become kind of tradition during Lent for a lot of people. The church fish fry is an institution in some areas. Around here, people will get together on Fridays and visit a different one each week.

In the U.S., you are only required to give up meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays.

Good explanation. I think eating fish on Fridays during Lent is just such an ingrained tradition for some people. I am also one of those people who don't care for beans, tofu, or spaghetti without meat sauce. I usually have veggie soup for lunch and a baked potato and sides for dinner but I do occasionally indulge in the deep fried crap that is Long John Silvers.

[ADoyle90815]

Good explanation. I think eating fish on Fridays during Lent is just such an ingrained tradition for some people. I am also one of those people who don't care for beans, tofu, or spaghetti without meat sauce. I usually have veggie soup for lunch and a baked potato and sides for dinner but I do occasionally indulge in the deep fried crap that is Long John Silvers.

I also think eating fish on Fridays during Lent is a tradition for many families and has been that way since fish on Fridays was done every Friday, not just for Lent.