Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent.
You’ve probably heard of giving something up for Lent. Traditionally, Catholics who are better Catholics than me use the 40 days (not including Sundays) between today and Good Friday (that’s the Friday before Easter) to fast, pray, do charity and reflect on the sacrifices of Christ.
But periods of fasting or abstention play an important role in most major religions.
- Consider Yom Kippur.
- Consider Ramadan.
In nearly every religion there is a tradition of giving something up for period of time. When the something is food, we call this fasting. But all kinds of stuff – sex, swearing, bad habits, even speaking aloud and bathing – have been given up for religious reasons.
The exact reasons for and rules concerning fasting vary from belief to belief, but there’s a strong theme that fasting allows the believer to set aside the worldly and focus on the spiritual. In this way, fasting is much like meditation or prayer, and indeed these practices are often found together.
There is often a secondary theme that going without voluntarily gives one more sympathy for those who go without involuntarily, due to poverty or misfortune.
Some faiths tie fasting and charity together directly. The Church of Latter-day Saints (The Mormons) encourage a monthly fast, with the money that would be spent on food for that day going to the poor.
Many of the Jewish fasting days commemorate events that are important for the Jewish community to remember.
In Hinduism, periodic fasting is viewed as a practice that helps bring control over worldly appetites and rebalances the physical with the spiritual needs.
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. – Matthew 6:17-18
O, you who believe, fasting is decreed for you, as it was decreed for those before you, that you may attain salvation. – Quran 2:183-185
Also, I give unto you a commandment that ye shall continue in prayer and fasting from this time forth.– D&C 88:76
One semi-exception to an almost unanimous love of fasting among the major religions is found in Buddhism. Bodhisattva Gautama (he who would become the Buddha) famously fasted to emaciation in his search for enlightenment, but it was only after he resumed eating that enlightenment came.
After achieving enlightenment Buddha advised, “When a person is mindful and thus knows moderation in eating, his ailments diminish, he ages gently and he protects his life.”
Still, many Buddhist monks and nuns stop eating after noon, and adopt a very simple, vegetarian diet, so moderation here looks pretty bare bones by the standards of cheeseburgers and strong ale.
Why Fast
If you have never been hungry, if you’ve always had the choice to never experience hunger, you should experience it once in awhile, even for a short period of time.*
Fasting for 18 or 24 or 48 hours won’t give you understanding as to what it’s like to be a little girl in a war zone eating tree bark to comfort the empty pit in her stomach, but I bet it’ll get you thinking about her experience, and that’s good. That’s human.
Even if a fast is done more for corporeal than spiritual reasons, as in intermittent or interval fasting, it’s still good as a re-prioritization exercise.
Put in terms my fellow secular folk may appreciate: going without food for awhile puts petty little shit like your 6-month-out-of-date-iPhone into perspective.
So I like the whole concept of periodic, thoughtful abstaining – and not just for food.
Mr Money Mustache talks about modern middle-class life as an “exploding volcano of wastefulness,” and I tend to agree. Call it stuff gluttony – and I am as guilty in my participation as anyone.
Even my son is burnt out on consumerism. And he’s five. Last night as I was tucking him in, he broke down in tears: “Why did I have to get all this stuff for Christmas?!” he wailed. “It’s too hard to keep my room clean with all this stuff!”
It is now so easy to acquire things that things rarely confer long-term joy or prestige any more. Minimalism, mini-homes, and experiences-not-possessions: that’s where the smart trend-setters are headed.
To fight against stuff-gluttony, we do No Spend Month, a more-or-less annual tradition now. We’ve also done No Grocery Shopping month, No Car Week and Power Out Night where we shut down all electronics. These are all variations on fasting.
In general, I think that if a little hardship doesn’t find us, it’s healthy to go out and meet it periodically, just to keep our sense of proportion properly calibrated.
Voluntarily and temporarily giving up luxuries to which we have grown accustomed re-sets our hedonic treadmill. It makes it easier to see the exploding volcano for what it is and appreciate what we have.
*check with your doctor, this is not medical advice, don’t do anything stupid, blah, blah, blah.
Giving Up Alcohol For Lent
Since religions so rarely agree amongst themselves, I think we should pay attention to the core concept when they do.
As you know, I am not a religious person, but to honor the value in so many of the fasting traditions, I am giving up one of my more obscene indulgences for the Lenten Fast.
Booze.
I know. I know, I almost don’t want to say it out loud to all you guys because then I actually have to do it.
I think I’ve made it pretty clear how much I enjoy my cocktails. But it wouldn’t be much of a challenge to give up bubble tea (which I hate) would it?
And anyway, I’ve given up drinking for 9 months at a stretch before and managed (got a couple of cute kids for my effort, too). So 40-ish days should be doable.
In some ways of course I’m dreading this alcohol fast. I really like a good homebrew (or gimlet, or pinot). In other ways I’m really looking forward to it. Adding up the calories, impact on my sleep quality, cost of the booze – I know that taking a break from drinking will do me well.
But I can pretty much guarantee Easter will be mimosas and chocolate bunnies all day long.
Do you ever fast for any reason – personal, spiritual or physical? Are you giving anything up for Lent?
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Proud of ya Kid! Do good!
Thanks Rick! Really appreciate it!
I had never really thought about how a mere fast can help reset that consumerism drive… But you are so right. It is so important and something I wish everyone could experience.
We went through a stint of true poverty a few years ago after I had a couple strokes and it has honestly been one of the best things that ever happened to us now that we’re safely out of it.
At the time it was horrible and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone (except maybe all the people we know who posted stupid things on Facebook about the mythical welfare queen while we were relying on Medicaid and food stamps to meet our most basic needs). To be in that situation and not see a way out is dehumanizing and demoralizing in the worst way.
But it also put everything into perspective for us. We still have trouble relating to most of our previous friends… Their worries are so shallow, their wants are so frivolous. Don’t they realize how blessed they are?! I don’t mean to sound like a snot…I just can’t get that worked up about the “little stuff” anymore.
I am now so grateful for healthy food, a warm house, and a memory foam mattress pad on my bed. To be comfortable… to have a comfortably full stomach, comfortable home, comfortable bed… allows me to not feel desperate about the basics but worry about other things like my marriage, my children’s education, and my garden. 🙂 To have time for those is a privilege of those with enough money and maybe fasting gives a little taste of that.
Ugh. Had a fairly long response that just got eaten. 🙁 Anyway, look at the Hedonic Treadmill concept I linked to above the line. I think you’ll find it explains your friends and their perceptions. Basically, people have this idea of what is “enough to be happy” and as soon as they get there, the definition of “enough” sneaks away from them, always just out of reach. So you have these situations where folks are making $300K a year and feel – really, honestly, that they can’t make ends meet. Their “enough to be happy” has just swelled to incorporate all they have.
I’m so glad you’re safely on the other side of your difficult time. 🙂
I am a huge fan of Mr Money Mustache (which I found via this site, thanks Erica) but that is because my husband and I were mustache and didn’t even know it. I remember when we figured out how much money we could save by not having fancy coffee drinks, this was back in 2001 during the dot com boom in SF when everyone felt rich, even us starving students. I think the reason for our frugal ways was because we both grew up very poor and suddenly found ourselves with what we thought was a lot of money.
As I’ve gotten older I realize I cannot relate or find common ground with people who have not had some kind of experience of being poor. Because when you are poor all waste matters, time, water, food, clothes, everything. It makes you appreciate your comforts so much more, and be watchful of that hedonic treadmill. What we’ve done to keep ourselves aware is we save receipts and keep track of how much we spend. This tells us if something is sucking up too much money, for example I got a new job that has a really nice cafeteria that you have to pay for lunch. Most things are under $6 so pretty cheap so I was buying it a couple times a week (so convenient!) but it’s not as cheap as home made and when I looked at our monthly “dining out” category I was blown away. We’ve also given up booze for a month, given up TV for several months (that was awesome for me, not for the rest of the family). Backpacking out in the wilderness really teaches you the value of things too; you have to figure out what you want to carry because every ounce is critical, water is hard to find and purify, and you are so grateful for food.
Bless you Robin, there are lots of us who have faced hardship, you may just not know it. We don’t all talk about it.
I am a Christian but fasting was never practiced in our house. Your statement “if a little hardship doesn’t find us, it’s healthy to go out and meet it periodically” struck a chord but with a twist. I keep quart ziplock bags of toiletries and 1st aid stuff in my car to give to those folks standing on the corner with cardboard signs saying “anything will help.” I have learned that I need to notice them (it’s too easy to pretend they’re invisible); I need to look them in the eye and speak with them (everyone deserves to be acknowledged); I need to ask their name and introduce myself (common courtesy) ; I need to put aside any judgement (there but for the grace of God go I); and I need to be grateful that I can share. The gesture seems small and, honestly, I don’t know if meeting homelessness head on in this way makes much of a difference to them but I have found each of these lessons changes me.
D, I think your efforts are more than gestures and do make a difference. You are treating an overlooked, ignored person with the humanity they need and deserve. Many of us think our actions don’t matter and so do nothing; you have chosen to reach out. Besides putting more love out there into the world, you may catch the notice of another person and get them thinking that they can do something too. Kindness can be contagious. Thank you for spreading it around.
I agree with Stacy. That action might be small to you, but you never know what kind of ripples it will create, especially since you are so thoughtful about being present with the people you’re helping. I’ve done something similar with gloves and socks. Does this stuff change the world? No, of course not. But maybe it helps someone sleep a bit warmer, or stay a bit healthier, or feel like they aren’t totally invisible. And if that’s all it does, that’s ok.
This is really, really lovely.
Erica, thank you for this essay. I love your perspective about different types and purposes of fasting, and the relationship of Lent to Easter.
I did chuckle for a moment when you said your Easter was going to consist of mimosas and chocolate bunnies. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints don’t drink alcohol, but we do love chocolate. Liquid, solid, any shape or size. Chocolate bunnies, chocolate eggs, chocolate ducks. We love them all.
I would give up chocolate but I own a bakery. However, I will be praying for you for your next 40 alcohol-free days and I will eat a chocolate bunny in your honor!
Thank you also for your blog. I like learning something new with each post.
Thank you Dorothy! Your chocolate bunny eating is greatly appreciated!
My first thought when I saw this post announced was “Not cocktails again…”. But this was interesting. I will not participate, my life is frugal enough as it is. Besides this is a challenging time for reasons that do not have to be divulged here, and I will bloody well indulge in whatever treats help me get through it. But hey, good luck to you, and Oliver is priceless!
You’re in luck! Expect a slowdown in cocktail posts for the next 6 weeks. 😉 I’m sorry this is a difficult time Ien.
I’m a practicing Catholic and for the past two Lents, I’ve given up social media. I’m not doing it this year because I’m participating in a community building exercise that involves posting regularly to a Facebook group for a 100 days. That said, I have to say fasting from Facebook, blogs, Pinterest and all the rest was probably the most rewarding Lenten practice I’ve done. It was refreshing, it was hard and it refocused my attention on what truly was important – just like a Lenten practice is suppose to. Nice post, Erica; glad I’m not giving up blogs this Lent. 🙂
I’m impressed. Even though I’m kind of a booze-hound, giving up drinking feels more do-able than giving up social media. That said, even being more conscious about social media is something I could really benefit from. I feel like I have stop gaps – like apps I use to turn off certain sites, or leaving my phone behind on a walk – stuff like that. But I still get sucked in so much, and jumping off that train 100% isn’t something I’ve been able to do yet. Theoretically, I could continue to share content from my site to folks on FB, etc. without ever going on FB, but that feels like cheating.
I’m giving up sugar (*added* sugar, to be specific).
Let’s just say that I’ve become…dependent… on sugar since the birth of my last child. I need to get command of my eating, my compulsions, my mind, my body, and my health, so added sugar is out the window. Hopefully, this period of abstinence will allow me to reset and come out better for it in the end.
My husband gave up beer. He’s already miserable!
I know exactly how you feel. Best of luck to us both! We can do it – and your husband, too. 😀
I agree, Noreen! After the health guidelines came out saying no more than 10 grams of sugar was recommended, I measured what I was putting in my (large) cup of coffee. 7 grams! I’m what I call a “bad Catholic,” so I’ve never given anything up before, but this year I’m going to try to stick to 10 grams…for all 40 days. Here’s hoping a hard reset helps!
PS – Erica, thanks so much for the reminder that Lent is already here! I read this and thought, crap…I have to start TODAY??? *Sigh*
Life is a daily grind as a self-employed business owner. We’re at the mercy of our customers who want the world for nothing and have no qualms about canceling when we show up to do work, etc… It’s a stressful enough life without punishing ourselves in the name of religion.
I have no use for religion. If there truly is a God, he/she is a god of love, not fear, and that’s how I see religion. Fear me or you will be harmed in some way. No thank you.
Fair enough. 🙂 I hope your clients are all appreciative and pay on time.
I went alcohol-free from August – October and replaced one meal with both broth. I don’t really remember what kicked it off; I just remember a switch flipping and being ready to commit to being a little more ascetic for awhile. No religion, no internet inspiration, I was just ready for it.
Not going to lie, the first couple weeks without a glass of wine in the evening were irritating. Like you, I enjoy a good cocktail or glass of wine as part of a reasonable routine, but I don’t drink that much in comparison to a lot of folks. Interesting, for a little while, I ended up with way too much energy, sort of a manic energy, which isn’t really a normal thing for me. It was a strange time. I did a lot of introspection, a lot of writing, and a lot of unpacking some things that happened in the past and looking at them with fresh eyes.
But, things started settling down and I eventually settled into a much better sleep cycle. It also kick-started my metabolism and I dropped a fair amount of weight, though I would caution anyone doing much of a fast to keep any workouts light and restorative. The mind and body really aren’t good at tackling multiple things at once.
It came to a natural end after about two months. I have high energy requirements in a day and I don’t think I could have gone much further happily still replacing a meal a day with broth. I’ve been thinking about going back to that for a month heading into spring, but I’m in a big workout cycle right now and…again…only one non-work major mental challenge at a time.
“I just remember a switch flipping and being ready to commit to being a little more ascetic for awhile.”
That’s how all of my successful fasts (or changes, or anything) go. I’m naturally kinda binary – on or off – so I will often wait until that moment when I’m in the right spot to attempt something. This booze-free notion hit me Tuesday night and I just said, “sure, ok – I’ll do that.”
Like you describe, my drinking had become quite habitual. I’m not worried in a global sense about my relationship with alcohol, but I didn’t like that I’d been sorta killing time by drinking. A hedonic reset (and a physical tolerance reset) will help break the habit of rather unthinking alcohol consumption.
“One mental challenge at a time” – I totally agree with this. I’ve learned not to do physical (fitness, diet, etc.) challenges at the same time I’m doing financial savings or no-spend challenges. My thinking is that willpower is a limited thing – you can’t expect it to hold out forever.
I have tried giving up booze for lent the last couple of years. Sometimes for the calories, sometimes for the resetting of tolerance and blind habit. I hate it–the giving up of it. The routine of the evening becomes disrupted and feels awry. My husband has to decide to join the sacrifice or drink without me (in front of me!). But as a goal, I think I should keep trying to give it up annually for as long as I can stand it each year.
Your sons comment is priceless! That is more or less how I feel every Christmas, even though our family has massively cut back.
We are in our 2nd year of ‘No Spend February’ and this year it has come as a gift and not a hardship. I picked up the paper with the local ad for this weeks grocery store deals and threw it out… just like that! It felt like a weight had been lifted as I could say ‘No, we have more than enough’. Moving to a mentality of abundance vs scarcity is hard to do in our current society but well worth the effort.
Thank you Erica, love this post!
“Moving to a mentality of abundance vs scarcity is hard to do in our current society but well worth the effort.”
This is so well said. I totally agree.
And of course, the interesting part is that our society has so much abundance that people can – and do – live off the waste stream of society just to make a point. So isn’t it odd that the scarcity mentality is so prevalent? I wonder if that’s just millions of years of evolution – the same instinct that tells squirrels to go get another nut to bury tells us we need a new pair of boots or an iPhone watch? I don’t know, but I love the language you use to describe the shift for you.
I’m always amused by the ways that religion/cultures co-opt the holidays of others (Easter! Groundhogs day!) and Lent always seemed like such a funny one–especially for those of us who live in colder regions. Lets take the hardest time of the year, food storage-wise, and encourage people to eat less sugar/flour/butter, whatever. It’s ingenious!
And while I sometimes internally snark at people’s seemingly random diet/budgeting/exercise fads, I do subscribe to the idea that you have to find the way to navigate the earth that works for you–everybody’s brain works a different way, we are all motivated in different ways, and seeing the world from another perspective is always useful. Getting outside your habits and comfort zone is a good way to do it. Good luck and report back 🙂
Fair enough. Personally I don’t think it’s a co-opting situation so much as evolution. You see this throughout religions as they spread and influence each other – the dominant or growing one absorbs traditions from the subordinate one.
Forty, for example, is an recurring number through the Old and New testaments and the Quran- people are always wandering or flooding or fasting or embalming or hanging out in the wilderness for 40 days. (See more here – 40 years is common too). I don’t take this as a sign that there is something inherently special or holy about the number 40 – rather, I see it as a sign of this evolution of cultural belief – a gradual swallowing and morphing more than anything.
I feel the same about Ēostre and Easter. I wouldn’t expect long-standing pagan cultural traditions to die out immediately when confronted with Christianity. And indeed they didn’t. Instead we got this overlay, a blending, as the folks who were spreading new beliefs (and their own power) into these regions both impacted and were impacted by the traditional beliefs. So you get the language of a fertile crescent monotheistic religion married to polytheistic Germanic traditions. That’s some interesting stuff, right there! 🙂
But I’m not religious, so all this for me is all pretty academic. I just try to be respectful of the fact that it’s more than academic for a lot of folks.
I like to give up something for Lent, I am not religious, but it is still a spiritual practice for me.
The first year I did this as an adult, I gave up potato chips (and popcorn, because it would be stupid to give up one salty, crunchy snack and then eat another for six weeks). That was the most successful.
The time I was least successful was the year I gave up complaining. I never noticed I was going to complain until after I complained. I talked about it a lot, though, and that led to some interesting conversations. Especially with people who complain a lot more than I do.
This year, I am giving up computer games, because I’ve been overindulging in them. I can have entertainment screen time, like movies and following blogs.
Yours is harder than mine. Good luck!
Nothing is harder than giving up popcorn. 😉 (Just kidding, but I really love popcorn!)
Good luck with the computer games – you can do it!
Erica, I love your no-nonsense writing style, that wooden bowl and spoon, and the precious stressed-out heart of your five-year-old in search of simplicity. I’m heading that way with him, five decades later.
I’ve fasted many times in the past, both with others and just myself when I feel called to do so. A few years ago it was for our adult nephew with health problems. Many times it’s for clarity for a decision that needs to be made, or so that more time can be spent in prayer or other work (when you like to cook, and cook from great recipes, it takes a long time!).
Interestingly, all those times when I chose to fast paled in comparison since last year when I’ve had to fast certain things for my own health. It was a shock to my “no dietary restrictions” self. Priorities have been reordered and answers sought. Healing is coming, but there are things like alcohol and vinegars which can disrupt what healing has been done. The first week was frantic, trying to figure out what I could and couldn’t eat and still feel normal. Change is hard. “Temporary” is a different length of time for each person, but it feels good to be grounded. To love oneself means I can better love others. To discipline myself means I can do both better and walk in humility and openness to learn new things.
Enjoy our lenten experience this year. Yes, it’s good to recalibrate the definitions of excesses and riches of our lives, and to be extremely grateful for the options to choose.
Oh Erica, I know you were pondering what to do about your blog. Please keep writing. Your essays are warm and wise. I feel encouraged when I read comments and realize I am not alone as ponder life. Thank-you for this. Erased face book app off my phone for 40 days, couldn’t stop looking at it.
We’ve done the alcohol fast before. It’s hard for the first few days but that first mimosa… yum! Delicious instead of expected.
Lovely, Erica… and generative of soooooo many inviting thoughts 😉 So glad you’re ‘spreading out’! Thanks
I do a cleanse each fall where I give up things like sugar and alcohol and caffeine for 3-4 weeks. I enjoy the break because it helps me reset habits and examine which things in my life/diet mean the most to me. As a result I now only drink on Saturday and Sunday because I realized it was the social aspect of having a beer that was most enjoyable for me. Good luck!
Yup! I teach at a Catholic school so I’m well-acquainted with fasting for Lent. This year I’m giving up Facebook. Although I agree with you that debate is necessary, the noise of politics is too much for me right now and a Facebook cleanse will, I hope, help me focus on positive and tangible things. Like getting my baby greens into the raised beds we’re moving this weekend!
Lovely post! I am from a Christian tradition that adds something during Lent–extra devotions, charitable giving, etc. This involves giving up some time or money, I suppose, but it was never framed that way. As a youth group leader, I have fasted with the kids for 30 hours to raise money for famine relief programs, clean water programs, etc. It certainly does raise consciousness and reset the hedonic treadmill! I think that you are so right that going out to meet a little hardship occasionally is good for us (if we are not in the midst of hard times ourselves, of course). I know my life has been an easy one materially, even when going through financial straits at times. It is so easy to forget that and take my easy life and the harder lives of others for granted.
Best wishes for your fast!