What Are You Giving Up for Lent This Year?

It's funny to ask "what is the best thing to give up for Lent", because for many of us the best thing to give up for Lent will be the worst thing for our lifestyle. If you drink too much coffee or eat too many sweets, is that the best thing to give up during Lent or the worst thing to give up for Lent? What to give up for Lent is highly subjective and the reason you want to give something up at Lent probably comes down to whether you subscribe to the traditional reason for Lent or a new reason to use Lent to give something up.

The traditional purpose of Lent is to give up something and engage in self-denial leading up to Easter Sunday. The 40 days and nights (not to be confused with the Josh Hartnett movie 40 Days and 40 Nights) are a time when what a person gives up for Lent reminds them of the sacrifice Jesus made for humanity. That's the traditional celebration of Lent typically practiced by those of the Catholic faith.

If you have to ask "when is Lent" in addition to "what should I give up for Lent", you may not be a strict Catholic and likely fall into the second category of people picking Lent items, those who look for things to give up for lent that they might overindulge in the rest of the year. Swear too much? Give it up for Lent. Eat too much junk food? It's Lent: give it up. Whatever your reason for abstaining from something during Lent, this is the list of those vices soon to be off the table until Easter happens and Lent ends.

What are the top things to give up for Lent? What are you giving up for Lent? Smoking, texting, shopping? If it can be given up for Lent, it's probably on this list. But if you give something up for lent that's less traditional (and not of this list of things to give up for Lent), add it to the list and inspire someone else to give it up during Lent. If you're still wondering what you should give up for Lent after reading this list of Lent items to give up, you're probably not indulging enough.