I didn’t realize lent didn’t include Sundays

[BlackCatSleeping]

Did everyone else know this?

I always thought it was 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Maudlin Thursday, but apparently it’s 46 days because you don’t count the Sundays and so whatever you gave up for lent, you can have on sundays as Sunday is considered a feast day.

So, now I am counting down until Sunday for chocolate.

Most people don’t choose to observe that.

For me, it depends on why you’re doing lent in the first place. If it’s a religious thing, Jesus didn’t have Sundays off being in the wilderness. If it’s s diet thing, binging on whatever you’ve given up on Sundays probably isn’t a good idea anyway!

Yes I knew this but was raised catholic so that's maybe why?

I personally don't indulge on the Sunday as I like to really give it up to try exercise some self control! But a lot of people do so go for it!

Not in my experience, growing up in a devout household in 1970s and 80s Ireland. We gave up sweets etc completely from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, with only ( for some) St Patrick’s Day being an exception.

I like the autocorrect but it’s Maundy Thursday.

Catholic - we never had / have Sunday's off! I hadn't heard lot it until a few years ago when someone at work said she was having Sunday's off.

I like the autocorrect but it’s Maundy Thursday

🤦🏼‍♀️

It certainly is maudlin after 40 days with no chocolate.

And it was always straight through from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday morning! Why would you stop your Lenten fast before Good Friday, the day marking the Crucifixion, which always involved the strictest fast ( for adults) p, of one meal and two collations?

We never had Sunday's off (also Catholic), only ever St Joseph's day.

Tbh I can live without chocolate for Lent but if I have some on Sundays I find it much harder .

I think someone is teasing you - Lent is the 40 days to the start of Holy Week (Palm Sunday) during which Lenten abstinence may continue to be observed.

No days off.

Some Sundays are feast days, and are stead as such in iturgical calendars. Whereas the ones starting this Sunday are simply listed as as such on church calendars as 1sr, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Sunday of Lent, followed by Passion Sunday of Lent. Not feasts and churches remain in plain

I'm C of E and I have only known since it was pointed out by my current vicar about four or five years years ago.

But, if you count Sundays it doesn't add up to 40 days.

My priest has Sunday's off. I eat meat on sundays, but still continue giving up everything else. Which on thinking about it, is perhaps even more odd.

You get to choose.

I'm doing a lent challenge this year. There will be times I have to break it, due to circumstances. That's ok though, my challenge, my roolz.

If you're looking to build ”time-outs” into Lent than perhaps you have slightly misunderstood the intent for Lent.

40 days (or 46 days including Sundays) without chocolate is not exactly onerous!

Some years ago our (C of E) church had a special service for mother's day. The clergy had provided tea/coffee and delicious cakes for afterwards. We were expressly told by the head vicar that even if we had given up cake/chocolate etc for lent we were ok to partake because it was a Sunday and Sundays don't count.

And when you add up the days there are only 40 if sundays aren't included.

OP, it’s not Slimming World, it’s a religiously-mandated semi-‘fast’ or period of giving things up. Starting Lent by trying to figure out ‘days off’ seems very odd. Don’t do it if you don’t want to. Priests and nuns are not going to pursue you throwing stones!

X-posted with Five.

Isn't Mothering Sunday a day off?

I'm sure we made Simnel cake at my RC girls' school around then.

Are all the ‘days off’ people all C of E? I have literally never come across the concept in Catholicism. Even taking St Patrick's Day (feast of obligation and bank holiday in Ireland) off was frowned on when I was a child, and very much an unofficial thing.

And I only came across simnel cake since living in England.

As far as I was aware from The Archers a few years back, Lent doesn't include Sundays but you can't just eat your chocolate then anyway as Sundays are days of rest/abstinence anyway.

As far as I'm aware including the Sunday's has been a modern thing - if you're religious you have the Sunday's off as Sunday is the day you worship and are close to God.

The other days are likely the ones you are at work and not as mindful of God

I guess that modern people are doing the whole time as they're using it as a 'diet' of some kind rather than religious observance?

Our vicar gave us this golden nugget in the mid-90s. I don't always take advantage of it but it helps to know I can.

DH is a very devout catholic - doesn't eat for an hour before mass-type of Catholic. Even he stuffs his face with chocolate or whatever he's given up for Lent on a Sunday. I wasn't taught about the no food before mass thing because it went out in the 1960s but I wasted years of Sundays as a child

SeaweedDress

Well that comment about Simnel cake sent me down a rabbit hole.

I had no idea it was an English thing, my school was run by the Sisters of Mercy so had quite an Irish slant eg school lunch was either the proper meat and 2 veg or 'soup and a sandwich', St Patrick's day was quite a big event etc.