The whole "40 days of Lent" thing is a lie

[yesthattom]

They don't count the Sundays. It's really 46 days.

Comments

[rwgill.livejournal.com]

Years back a monk explained to me that the Sundays don't count in Lent because Sunday is a day of rest. Who knows if that is the whole explanation or not.

[alyxyn.livejournal.com]

So if they don't count, does that mean you have license to do whatever you don't do during the days that do count?

[rwgill.livejournal.com]

That was his belief. His example was that his brotherhood gave up all meat during Lent except on Sundays.

[inflectionpoint.livejournal.com]

This. On Sundays, one's Lenten prohibitions don't apply, if one is Catholic.

Not necessarily useful for one who isn't Catholic (anymore) and trying to use lent to develop a new habit. Do it Every Day, whatever it may be!

[onecrazymother.livejournal.com]

ditto, and that was as an Episcopalian, ftr.

[likethewatch.livejournal.com]

That's so cool. I did not know that.

[awfief.livejournal.com]

Also if you're Catholic, your patron saint days don't apply. Which is my thinking of why St. Patrick's day is HUGE in places with lots of Irish Catholic folks, because basically smack dab in the middle of Lent they can do whatever they want.....

but I didn't know about the Sunday thing either!

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

"Every Sunday is a little Easter"-- that is, a day for rejoicing and feasting, not for fasting. Sundays do count, but on a different slate.

[lothie.livejournal.com]

You're so picky.