My beloved grandmother was an observant Catholic so I always give up something for Lent in her memory, though I'm neither specifically Catholic nor generally religious.

This year, I am giving up weighing myself. My weight never really changes and I am not overweight but I'm totally neurotic about tiny changes. I'm going to give up this habit for six weeks and see what happens for me when I am nice to myself.

Do you give up something for Lent? What, if anything, will you forgo? Can you tie in some astrology?

I am giving up online clothes shopping.

ETA: I don't know the astrology :)

I think it's great that Lent is starting just after the New Moon and with all this Pisces in the sky. I'm really looking forward to mass tonight.

Mass will probably be beautiful. I used to love going to Latin mass with my grandmother.

And clothes shopping seems like a good idea! That would be a toughie for me :)

Are you giving up the act of shopping/browsing or just purchases?

I am not even going to bother browse, kr, because I will just buy something. Venus in Aries :) Very impulsive. I am always happy with what I buy, but impulsive nonetheless!

Yeah I have Venus in Leo trine Jupiter in Aries so I hear you.

When does it start lol? I'm a lapsed catholic. :P

Venus in leo trine jupiter in aries here too! Not shopping when i want just seems inordinately difficult :)

Maybe I'll give up unnecessary snacking? Like I'll not purchase chocolate, crisps, etc. :D

Laying in bed. I have orthostatic problems and it makes a lot of the symptoms go away but it also makes it worse. So I have to stop it and deal with the puking, panic-attack type symptions etc.

Coffee! I love coffee. I already miss coffee. :(

Aw, sunny. That is a tough one! You can do it! :)

Lent starts today. I'm giving up money.

Since I have none anyway, it won't make any difference to my life ;)

Thanks Caroline. It is really hard, but I will do it. My daughter has told me that she doesn't want to be around me in the mornings. She reconmended me to do something else.

hahhahahaah! God I love her. :)

(((jilly)))

Peace in this house..... literally. The afore mentioned arse has stepped-up his little childish pranks. So.... while I go through my belongings (getting rid of things I don't use anymore) I will keep my eyes peeled.

It royally sucks playing these "games" at almost 50-ish yrs old.... but I'm leaving , so it doesn't matter any more.

(((Jilly)))

Jilly, wishing you peace.

{{{{Jilly}}}} 

Jilly!

I'm already giving up alcohol so I'll just keep with it.

(((Jilly)))

I'm giving up movies and netflix. I almost have no tv but I'm going to give up all tv so that I get out and/or meditate over the next 40 days. Hardcore healing. Oh and it may mean I clean more. I'm out of routine.

((((Jilly)))) 

(((Jilly)))

I've been thinking alot about this the past 2 days.  I decided that I would give up some of my personal relaxation time every day to follow the Lenten meditationbooklet they gave out at church.

My daughter (8) had a real hard time coming up with something.  At first, she said she'd limit herself to 1 samoa/day.  I explained to her that since she didn't have samoas available to her most of the year that this wouldn't really be much of a hardship.  I convinced her to take time out of her daily time to say a prayer.

Lent is silly.

Well obviously 10 people in here don't think so, Robert?

Robert, I think you're silly, thinking you're in a position to judge billions of people who have observed Lent over thousands of years.  Silly and maybe just a wee tad inflated.

Elsa, it is no judgement - it is how I feel about so called ritualistic 'giving things up'. Good for you all - also I should add, Religion is silly :)

Robert, are you trolling my blog? If so it's going to be a short stint.

Elsa, what do you mean by 'trolling'?

Well you're editing your comments and you're insulting people for their beliefs which I am not going to tolerate. No one asked your opinion or for your judgment. Back down now or I will back you down.

I'll make it very clear. You are not going to denigrate people for their religious beliefs (of any kind) on my blog.

I thought this was an 'open forum'? Do what you like though **

Feel free to close my account Elsa any time you want. I will continue to speak my truth just as you and everyone else speaks their own.

It is not open to people who insult and denigrate people for their religious beliefs.

Robert, it is an open forum, but you have to be respectful. I mean come on, coming into a thread where a bunch of people are seriously disclosing what they are doing for Lent and saying "Religion is silly!!!" is extremely tactless. Hello? It's not rocket science.

Okay, well I am not going to babysit you. If you can't adhere to this simple rule of decorum, you don't have the social skills to be on this board.

If you say religion is silly, then you're no different than those who say astrology is silly, and those who believe in it are wackoo's, just sayin'...

Well put caroline!

I attended Catholic school after Vatican II.  At that time, I was taught that giving up things, like chocolate or sweets, wasn't really the best way to perhaps to show devotion or honor God.  Instead, we were encouraged to do something we wouldn't normally do, - say go out of our way to do a good act or deed.   I have found very few people who have ever adhered to this and have been curious as to why.   Has this never been presented to you, or has the traditional way of observing Lent just stuck?     By the way, how many here still do not eat meat on Fridays?

I will not be eating meat on Fridays. I eat a mostly vegetarian diet, but in the winter I tend to eat meat intermittently, so this will be a slight adjustment for me.