What is Lent:

Lent is a holy season observed annually in many Christian traditions. Beginning with Ash Wednesday and lasting 40 days and 6 Sabbaths (that’s actually 46 days in all) it is a period of serious reflection; for many this happens through fasting and prayer. It is also traditionally a time for people to re-examine their relationships in and with the world. Lent ends on Easter Sunday, which is the day that people celebrate the resurrection of Christ and/or that dying eggs is great.

If you think you don’t know anything about Lent you might still know that it has something to do with Jesus. That’s true! Lent is the period during which Jesus went into the desert to pray for forty days before he was crucified. While in the desert, he refused the temptations of the devil. You might also know that Lent is about giving something up! This is kind of true. Many Christ-following traditions do “give up” vices or pleasures for Lent. This is particularly true in Orthodox, Catholic, and Episcopal traditions. But the reasons and affect behind those sacrifices vary between denomination, congregation, community, and individual. Across the denominations, however, this sacrifice is supposed to be a somewhat private event. The liturgy of Ash Wednesday is really into reminding followers that they should not be proud of their piety, that they should rend their hearts and not their clothes (Joel 2), that they should not distort their faces in order to show that they are fasting (Matthew 6).

What is Reina and Rebecca:

Reina and Rebecca are friends who have many differences and many similarities. For example, they have different religious beliefs and practices and they have different faith-histories. They also have excitingly different styles when it comes to documenting things. Some similarities include upbringings in Christian traditions and a lot of uncertainty about spirituality, formal religion, and how to be. So for these forty days (plus six) they have decided to bring all of these differences and uncertainties into one place and to see what emerges. You might like it—especially if you like us, or if you like disliking us, because that’s how the Internet works. We’re not sure where this project will go. But we’re excited about it.

You might wonder if there’s going to be a party at the end of this project and the answer is: probably.

What is Lent?

My blog All of Tumblr