Easter Sunday is this weekend and it comes after a period of Lent. But if you’ve always thought that Lent is 40 days long, you’re wrong – and it’s blowing people’s minds
Lent isn’t actually the length we all thought it was.
It’s Easter Sunday this weekend and will mark a time that many of us will be tucking into chocolate eggs and enjoying time with our families. Easter is a traditionally Christian holiday that comes after a period known as Lent, with the final day of Lent ending on the Saturday before Easter Sunday.
If you’re a Christian or you learnt about the holiday at school, you’ll probably know that Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, the day after Pancake Day, also known as Shrove Tuesday. You probably also know that Lent lasts for 40 days. Except that it doesn’t really – and many people are only just realising the truth.
According to the United Methodist Church, Lent is supposed to be 40 days long as this is “reminiscent of Jesus’ time in the wilderness before he started his public ministry”. However, if you could the days between Ash Wednesday – which this year fell on February 14th – and Easter Sunday (March 31st) you’ll notice one interesting detail. It’s actually 46 days, not 40.
So why have we been living a lie this whole time? Well, it’s because Sundays are not included in the count. So if you take out all the Sundays that fall between the two dates, you get to the nice round 40 days that we all know as Lent.
For Christians, Lent is a time of “preparation and focus”, and in addition to heading to church, they may also honour the beginning of the season by choosing to give up something for the entire 40-day (or 46-day) period. This is supposed to honour the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, and people may choose to give up anything from alcohol to sweets to swearing.
Meanwhile, experts warned at the beginning of Lent that people shouldn’t consider giving up sex for the lengthy period, as it could be bad for your health, both mentally and physically, and could even put unnecessary strain on your relationship.
The experts said multiple studies have shown sex to be very beneficial to our health, both by boosting our mood and giving us a form of exercise. Sex can be considered light exercise as it burns calories and lowers blood pressure, so giving it up could mean you have to get physically active in other ways to make up for the loss in activity.
Studies have also shown that sex can help relieve headaches and migraines, while an orgasm makes the body release endorphins and hormones, including oxytocin, known as the “love hormone”. Not only does the release make you feel good, but it also acts as a sedation, aiding in a better night’s sleep.
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