Definition: Lent is a 40-day period of preparation for Easter Sunday and one of the major liturgical seasons of the Catholic Church. A penitential season marked by prayer, fasting and abstinence, and almsgiving, Lent begins on either Ash Wednesday (for Latin Rite Catholics and those Protestants who observe Lent) or Clean Monday (for Eastern Rite Catholics and Eastern Orthodox) and ends on either Holy Thursday or Holy Saturday.

(For more details, see When Does Lent End?)

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More FAQs About Lent

• Why Don't Roman Catholics Sing the Alleluia During Lent?
• What Should Replace the Alleluia During Lent?
• Should I Give Up My Diet for Lent?
• What Are the Rules for Fasting and Abstinence in the Catholic Church?
• Should We Fast on Sundays?
• What Is Laetare Sunday?

Pronunciation: lent

Also Known As: Great Lent, Great and Holy Lent

Common Misspellings: Lint, Lend

Examples: "In order better to prepare ourselves for Easter, my children and I always give up television for Lent."