Lent is a 40 day period of fasting and spiritual exercise in the run-up to Easter (Pascha). Lent originally began as a period of preparation for those due to be baptised, and so was kept by those in the final stages of preparing for full initiation into the Christian church. It was then extended to include all Christians. Lent has been observed by Christians since something like the 200s. Until a generation or so ago, Lent was widely observed in the Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches in the western world. It continues to be observed by committed individuals, and in more traditional heartlands of Christianity, as well as by the Eastern Orthodox Churches. In more recent times, Lent has been practised in the western world in more limited ways. People might choose to "give up" something for Lent, such as sugar or maybe use of certain mass media. Others might attend courses during Lent, directing their energy towards Christian learning. It is not uncommon for peopl...