The season of Lent

The liturgical season of Lent begins with the solemn observance of Ash Wednesday and continues for six weeks, culminating with the church's joyous celebration of Easter. Also, during the period of Holy Week, which begins with Passion/Palm Sunday, churches around the world have special worship services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and on Saturday--the Great Vigil of Easter.

The word Lent is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for springtime, which is a literal translation of the lengthening of the days. In the early church, the Lenten period was used as a time for preparing new converts for Baptism on Easter Sunday. Today it is a time for preparation, reflection, growth, and change. The forty-day period of Lent was established in the middle of the fourth century.

(Sundays are not included in the count, since Sundays are considered "little Easters," all of which celebrate the resurrection.)

The liturgical color for Lent is purple, a solemn color, a color for royalty and repentance. The liturgical color for Easter Sunday and the Sundays between Easter and Pentecost is white, signifying purity. White is the liturgical color also for Christmastide and All Saints' Day (November 1).

Shrove Tuesday, the eve of Lent, has become a time for celebrating. Also known as Fat Tuesday, it is a traditional day to serve pancakes and eat all the foods that will be forbidden during the fasting of Lent. "Shrove" is derived from the Latin word for "shriven" or "confessing of sins." The Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") celebrations in Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans include parades and parties, while the German celebration Fasnact (eve of fasting) includes eating special donuts.

Ash Wednesday is the official beginning of the Lenten season. It is a day of prayer and public confession of sins. In some churches the sign of the cross is made with ashes on the foreheads of believers. The early Israelites took the ashes from burnt offerings, mixed them with water, and sprinkled them over unclean persons (sinners) and their belongings (Numbers 19:17-18). In the third century, the church began the custom of burning the branches used on Palm Sunday; saving the ashes and marking sinners, such as robbers and murderers with these ashes. Out of sympathy, family and friends of these 'marked' persons began using the ashes also.

Palm or Passion Sunday is a day of change from the joyful celebration of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem to the solemn knowledge of what lies ahead for him in the coming week. The custom of waving olive twigs in the procession began in the fourth century. It was not until about 400 years later that palm branches were first used, and they continue to be used today.

Maundy Thursday (from the Latin word "mandatum" or "commandment") focuses on the Lord's Supper and the new commandment to love one another.

Good Friday was probably first called God's Friday. On this day we remember Christ's suffering and death on the cross.

Easter and the seven weeks following is the oldest, celebrated liturgical season of the church year. The season of Easter ends with the Day of Pentecost, fifty days after Easter.