help me! when does lent officially end?

[Cappucino]

Is it Good Friday or Easter Monday? Because I really, really need some chocolate!

Is DEFINATELY 12.00 midday on Easter Saturday.

Ok I have asked my mum who should know this stuff as she converted to catholicism to marry my dad and had lessons and everything! more so than we did in a catholic school. she says lent is over as of the last supper (night of maundy Thursday) however... it is not Easter until midnight saturday. So after fasting on Good Friday you can eat 'normally' on Saturday and then feast on Sunday. (altars are stripped on Holy Saturday and all the lights put out - they are relit at midnight by the priest with the first blessed light - I loved this bit.)

Capppucino, I definitely counted hot chocolate, I didn't even sprinkle any chocolate on my coffee. I didn't have anything chocolatey or cocoa-y at all, not even to be polite. Seeing as I didn't have Sundays off, I'm not too worried about not carrying on until Easter proper, Maundy thursday or whatever we think it is, since it's all the same amount of time anyway i.e. long!!!

Thanks Celia for backing me up re Sundays not counting. I too converted to Catholicism and had lessons etc and I definitely remember that the 40 days don't include the Sundays and Sunday is the Sabbath and therefore a day of feasting.

Celia, just count the days. Lent lasts for 40 days and there are 40 days between Ash Weds and Easter Sunday if you don't count the Sundays.

If you are a cradle Catholic, I am not surprised you have never heard of that before. Cradle Catholics are notorious for knowing very little ahout their faith - well the little details like Sndays don't count in Lent. (I am married to one). Not that I am claiming any sort of superiority, you understand, but converts have to go through the lessons and seem to know more of the trivia.