We know Lent to be a time of preparation before Good Friday and Easter. Now where does the name “Lent” come from? The best speculation is that it is a contraction from the old English word for “lengthen”, as in the days that are lengthening in Spring. In other languages this time is known as the time of the Fast, or fasting. Symbolically the 40-day period of Lent (not including the Sundays, as Sundays are always a little celebration of Easter), parallels Christ’s withdrawal into the wilderness, where He fasted and was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-11).
