How Do You Observe Lent?

We're Catholic, so we sacrifice something for Lent. The last few years as a family we've given up eating out, and it's weird, but I really do feel the sacrifice and think it helps when I reflect on Christ and his sacrifice. I guess it took giving up something that was really a hardship for me.

We abstain from something, usually materialistic that creeps into our lives, and then replace it with something that helps us focus on God.

Such as - Give up TV, Replace with 1 hr of prayer and meditation.
Give up eating out, donate the money saved to foodbank
Give up social internet, spend the time with family, face-to-face.

I grew up Catholic so it may be a little different. Usually we sacrifice something we really enjoy from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday for example internet, chocolate, eating out, etc. or we do something good for example volunteering at a nursing home, helping the elderly or disabled, etc. Also we do not eat meat on Fridays. Fast on Good Friday. Lent really makes you open your eyes to things we take advantage of everyday.

I plan to give up shopping for lent. It will be hard, because it seems all the best sales happen during lent. I will only allow myself to purchase necessities. My goal will be to use up what I have in my cupboards, pantry, fridge and freezer, to live simply and do without what we can. I will stay out of malls and especially thrift stores. "Simple Gifts" was one of the hymns yesterday, and it will be my theme for lent.

ETA: We also do pancakes on Tuesday, an Ash Wednesday service and a weekly lenten bible study.

My usual Lenten observances are, I think, kind of selfish in that I use Lent as a time to try to do something that I should do anyway, such as not drink diet soda or exercise more. I try to "holy it up" a bit by doing something like reciting the rosary in my head while I run or bike but I don't feel 100% that that hits the mark. I do observe the fast days and abstain from meat on Fridays. I also try to be more mindful when I pray with my kids at night instead of just cranking through the prayers on auto pilot. I think that this year, I'll continue my rosary/biking thing (I'm training indoors for a 150 mile charity race that I'll do in June) but will try to add some morning prayer to my days, taking a few minutes to light a candle in pray in solitude before starting the regular chaotic day.

Good post, thank you for asking this! I'm looking forward to reading other responses.

Observing Lent, imo, is and should be a deeply personal spifitual journey, so it probably doesn't matter to me what others do or do not do.
I'm sure we can all agree its more about internal work than it is about eating fish on Fridays!
You can always talk to your pastor and/or bible study group for guidance, too.
Good luck!

C.:

Our observation of Lent is to give up something.

Last year I gave up Coca-Cola....it was hard as I was used to drinking it. I have stopped drinking it in the past....urgh...it's a bad habit!

This year, I will be giving up Coca-Cola again for Lent. In a way of "cleansing" my body for Christ.

Every day I try to be a better person...and there are days I fail miserably. I allow myself to get sucked into other people's nastiness. So when I feel myself getting sucked in? I take a deep breath and pray. I have a girlfriend I can call that will pray with me on the phone as well.

I don't pray just at night before bed. Every day is a focus on keeping my heart and mind clear for God, His Grace...His "voice"...

Pretty much the same as the previous responders, we abstain from something that is frivolous and wasteful, and use the time for some act of service for others. I had a Pastor once give up coffee for Lent. That was interesting. ;)
I have given up chocolate before. (This year Lent begins before Valentine's Day and my husband and father's birthdays---all in the next 2 weeks-- so I won't be giving up chocolate).

I am still trying to decide exactly how I want to observe this year. We will start with pancakes tomorrow (Fat Tuesday) and Ash Wednesday services on Wednesday evening (application of ashes to the forehead---from dust you were made, to dust you shall return). Each Wednesday during Lent there are church services on Wednesday evening that we will try to attend. Then, of course, Holy Week has a whole slew of services that lead up to Easter Sunday. (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil on Saturday evening, Sunrise on Easter morning).

I am thinking that this year, I may try to avoid being online as much. Maybe put a time limit per day on it. But I have 2 more days before I have to make my final decision about it.

This year I am dedicating time to a bible study, 40 days in the word. I'm really excited about it!

Well I am Greek Orthodox and as Orthodox we don't do anything lightly! ;) It is encouraged that we fast for the entire 40 days of Lent. We actually give up meat one week before lent begins (so that makes 48 days without meat) and then dairy one day before Lent begins. So we are asked to survive on fruits, veg and grains for the duration of the time. In this process we are cleansing our body to become closer to God and prepare ourselves for His resurrection. It is really hard and honestly, I do feel like it brings me closer to Him. I have a lot of cravings but every time I want to eat a certain food it enables me to reflect on why I've given it up.

Also I set goals to be on time to church more (we Mediterraneans are also not very timely! ;), and set other goals to a better mother and wife, etc. Lent is often a time of struggle and it seems like if anything particularly challenging is going to happen, it will happen then!

Growing up we always liked fish fry dinners on Fridays.