Giving up Lent

Guest Post by Emma Okada, Stay at home mother of a baby and a 4 year old

Here in the UK our major religion is Consumerism. I am not a Christian myself- brought up by a Christian mother and anti-religious zealot of a father, I have been Christened and was in the Girl Guides, but never “believed”. Now, my husband is Japanese and my knowledge of religions (I studied for a Comparative Religions BA) leads me to feel an affinity for Buddhism. But right now it is Lent.

When I was a child everyone knew when Shrove Tuesday was and what it signified as well as what to eat- here in England pancakes (crepe-style) with lemon and sugar- yummy. On Ash Wednesday many people would give up something for Lent. It has been many years since I gave up anything for Lent, but this year all sweets, cakes and alcohol are off the menu until Easter.

One of the main reasons for me deciding to give something up, as a non-Christian, is an attempt to become more conscious of what I am eating and when I am eating it. I have discovered that I am often bored or sad when I crave sweet food. I believe this a very powerful insight, since previously I blindly suppressed whatever feelings I was experiencing, but now I have the opportunity to look deep inside, observe my discomfort and quietly notice what other tricks I use to run from my discomfort (such as reading and singing). I have recently been reading the brilliant book “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle and feel inspired to strive to live more consciously in the present moment, for it is the only moment we ever live in.

I have not yet met anyone else who has given up anything for Lent. The majority of people tell me that it is a waste of time and that “life is too short” or seem surprised since I do not need to lose weight (as if that were the sole reason for healthy eating). What happened in the UK?- I suppose I could appreciate that most people are no longer practising Christians or Pagans for that matter (since eggs have little to do with the Resurrection) but that we Brits still choose to celebrate Shrove Tuesday buying ready-made pancake mix and lemon juice in plastic bottles and soon, thousands of chocolate eggs.

Rejecting the consumer culture you are currently living in and finding your own way can be tough. Bringing back a tradition, such as Lent, can act as a guide in what can sometimes seem unchartered territory.

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