Lenten is a season by which new Christians prepare for baptism and church membership. Christian’s denominations that often observe Lent are Catholic, Protestant, Episcopalian and Anglican.
Lent originally began in 325 A.D. and is a season of fasting for 40 days in preparation for baptism; however, this is not the only time in which Christian’s are baptized. Lenten began on the fortieth Sunday around the 600s, when Gregory the Great moved the beginning of Lent to Ash Wednesday this made it exactly 40 days minus Sundays, a day of rest and feasting.
Lent observers in Cincinnati follow western culture of fasting everyday except Sunday’s. During fasting, Christian’s do not eat fish, meat or any animal products unless they have health reasons that require a regular diet like diabetes.
Genesis 3:19 says, "You are dust, and to dust you will return.” Ash ceremonies began Pope with Gregory a medieval papal. Gregory marked Christians with an ash mark on their foreheads to remind them of repentance and is a symbol of sackcloth, ashes, and mortality.
As time passed Lenten became more relaxed allowing Christians to eat after 3 p.m., and later changed to noon. Over the centuries, these practices began changing more by allowing fish and other foods into the diet and in 1966, the Roman Catholic Church changed the fasting days to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday only.
Lenten is still a devout observance although some Protestant Christians may not know about Lent due to the lack of teaching. Churches in recent years are returning to the observance of Lent and evangelical leaders have reintroduced Lent as a way to prepare for revival. In modern day Christians find something they want to give up for Lent and many choose to give up a habit.
