The History of Lent: Weaving Current Traditions With Past Practices

The religious practice of Lent begins in the winter months, typically sometime in February or early March, and extends into the coming spring, and is the period that precedes the Christian holiday of Easter. 

This communal observance is an important tradition in numerous Christian denominations. During the Lenten period, individuals in these denominations are called to spiritual introspection through practices such as fasting. 

Just as church records can help families learn more about their ancestors, exploring Lenten traditions and history can help draw connections between today’s observances and historical, religious practices. 

What Is Lent?

Lent refers to a period of religious observance during the 40 days before Easter each year. While Lenten meaning and customs have changed throughout the years and vary by denomination, this time is typically dedicated to solemn considerations as well as fasts, repentance, and spiritual renewal.

The point of Lent for many Christian believers is to prepare themselves to appropriately consider and celebrate the meaning behind Easter. For those of the Christian faith, Easter and the week that comes before it–Holy Week–is a time to remember and celebrate:

• Palm Sunday, the triumphant arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem
• Maundy Thursday, which pays tribute to the Last Supper and is sometimes re-enacted by congregations on the Thursday before Good Friday
• Good Friday, when Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus
• Easter Sunday, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus 

Christian Lenten traditions date back to the 4th century. They’ve evolved over the years, with familial and congregational traditions passed down through generations. Often, details of these traditions have been recorded in journals or family Bibles. 

History of Lent: Origin and Timeline

The origin of Lent is somewhat complex. As with the history of Christmas and other major days or periods on the liturgical calendar, there’s some discussion among Christians, religious scholars, and others about whether its origins are pagan or associated with belief systems outside of Christianity.

Some individuals argue that Lenten practices are pagan in origin and not commanded by the Bible. The 40-day practice of Lent during the late winter and spring is not actually mentioned in the Bible, which is one reason some denominations, such as Baptists, don’t practice it.

However, some proponents of Lent say that the practice is tied to the Biblical narrative, as it commemorates Jesus’ fast in the wilderness before he started his ministry. That time is recorded as being 40 days. 

While the Bible does contain numerous accounts of fasting and other practices that are similar to those associated with Lent—and the early Christian church likely engaged in preparations for Easter celebrations—Lent did not begin as the official practice it is today. The 40-day approach isn’t recorded anywhere until 325 CE, when reference to a 40-day period appeared in the canons of the Council of Nicaea.

Throughout this time, such traditions became embedded in familial traditions and community structures. Even today, individuals from families that practice these traditions have stories they can share with future generations.

The Lenten Calendar

The actual Lent season varies depending on denomination.

Typically, in Western churches, Lent calls for a total of 40 days of fasting. The practice begins on Ash Wednesday and continues through Easter.

Ash Wednesday is actually 46 days before Easter. Sundays are excluded from Lent fasting, which is how this 46-day period becomes a 40-day fast. While Easter is always on a Sunday, it is on a different date every year. That’s because this faith holiday falls on the first Sunday that comes after the first full moon following the spring equinox. 

In Eastern churches, the dates of Lent are slightly different. In this case, Lent starts seven weeks before Easter on a Monday. It ends nine days before Easter on a Friday. In this Lent season, both weekend days are considered relaxed fasting days, not just Sunday.

Throughout past centuries, the exact time and duration of Lent has changed in various denominations. When looking through personal letters, diaries, and sacramental recordsfound on Ancestry^® you may be able to trace various family and cultural Lenten traditions as they evolved.

Lent Traditions and Customs

Lent fasting rules can vary by church denomination even today. 

Catholic Lent rules, for example, call for specific fasting:

• On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, those following Catholic Lent rules eat one regular meal. For their other two meals, they eat smaller amounts that would not, together, make a single full meal. 
• Catholics are not supposed to eat meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, or any Friday during the Lent period. They can eat fish.
• Whether it’s considered mandatory for a person to follow these rules depends on their age and health.

Other denominations that observe Lent in some way include Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, United Protestant, and Moravian churches.

Many congregations encourage giving up something for Lent. This is a fasting practice that may or may not involve food. The idea is to choose something that’s a sacrifice to give up. Christians who do this believe it’s representative of Jesus’ sacrifice for them. Individuals may also use this practice as a way to work on self-control or prompt themselves to consider God more often during the Lenten period.

The larger Lenten season is typically filled with other customs in various churches, including:

• Palm branch processionals, which involve waving or laying down palm branches to commemorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday
• Holy Wednesday, or Spy Wednesday processions, which commemorate events in the Holy Week story that include Judas betraying Jesus 
• Maundy Thursday celebrations, which commemorate the events of the Last Supper and the origin of Holy Communion
• Passion plays, which organizations often engage in on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, or the Saturday between to tell the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection 

Local Lent customs are expressions of faith and markers of identity that help unveil narratives about entire peoples and families. Traditions associated with Lent can be studied for these purposes via family memoirs and community records on Ancestry.  

Interesting Facts About Food Requirements during Lent

Historically, food restrictions related to Lent went beyond meat. For instance, in the Middle Ages, all animal byproducts were prohibited, up to and including butter and milk.

At one point, areas that didn’t produce oil asked to be allowed to have butter during Lent. Dispensation practices also led to wealthy individuals buying their way out of some of the stricter Lent requirements—a practice that ended with Reformation. 

Today, some interesting categorization goes on in regard to what is considered meat for Lent purposes. In Catholic traditions, aquatic animals are allowed, which means you can eat fish and shrimp. But that also allows for animals such as capybara and beaver to fall under the Lent allowance.

Lent Celebrations Around the World

Lent celebrations and customs take on different variations around the world. Some are especially boisterous, such as the Mardi Gras celebrations that kick off the Lenten season in French-heritage areas or the Carnevale of Italy. 

Carnival-type celebrations that include parades, fairs, food, and drink are held across the globe on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. In many cases, the celebration has extended into other days leading up to Lent. The idea behind these celebrations is that people can enjoy a period of excess and excitement before entering the more restricted and solemn Lenten period.

Unique traditions still occur in some areas. For example, a Czech tradition has children and others using wooden clappers. This dates back to a time when those clappers were used to signify the time for religious services on Holy Thursday, as the bells in the churches were silenced to observe Lent.

Connecting with Your Family’s Lenten Legacy through Ancestry^®

Reconstructing the Lenten traditions of your ancestors can be a fun project that helps you connect with the culture and faith traditions of your past. Resources such as Catholic church records and emigration records on Ancestry can help you infer how your ancestors may have celebrated Lent. You can also find information in documents such as wills that may include traditional Lenten bequests, personal journal records, and other resources on Ancestry to develop a deeper understanding of your historical ties to this ancient practice. Sign up for a free trial of Ancestry today. 

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Image 1: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Great_Witley_Church.jpg
Image 2: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flickr_-_Official_U.S._Navy_Imagery_-_Ash_Wednesday_aboard_USS_Abraham_Lincoln..jpg
Image 3: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:King%27s_Float_on_Canal_Street_New_Orleans_Mardi_Gras_1925.jpg