As Lenten season draws to an end, some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have described the lifestyle and diet changes made during the fast as “wholesome and sacrificial.”
Lent is a season of 40 days , not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on the Saturday before Easter.
The period is often referred to as a time for personal reflection that prepares people’s hearts and minds for Good Friday and Easter.
It is also expected that participants give up eating particular foods or made a sacrificial lifestyle change.
As lent is billed to end on April 18, some FCT residents, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reflected on their eating habits and the changes they had to make during the period.
Ehi Agada, a teacher, said, “My father doesn’t eat yam during lent because yam is his favorite meal so he sacrifices that for the period of lent.
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“Fasting generally depends on personal convictions. Some people may decide to abstain from specific food that they feel they really like.”
For Jude Ekeh, a lawyer, his three main focus during the Lenten season were prayer, fasting (abstaining from something to reduce distractions and focus more on God) and giving or charity.
He added that most Catholics avoid eating meat for the duration of the Lenten period, seeing that meat is a favourite part of a meal for a lot of people.
However, some other respondents told NAN that they decided to fast daily instead of just removing a particular meal from their diets.
According to them, the 40 days represent the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.
Tessy Afam, an entrepreneur, said, “You can eat anything, unless you’re fasting. I personally do fast everyday throughout Lenten period.
“It is advised that the money you’d normally spend on food, you should give it to others so as to put a smile on their faces.”
Youth corp member, Desmond Amanyi, also pointed out that contrary to public opinion, Catholics are not the only ones who observe Lent.
He mentioned other churches that participate in the Lenten season to include Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran and Presbyterian churches, adding that some churches do not necessarily practice the “giving up” part of the season. (NAN)
