Lent ends when?

[cjsmith]

Roman Catholic Lent, let's say, to simplify the question a bit. I have heard that it is supposed to be "forty days not counting the Sundays", which could mean skipping the Sundays and making the rest total forty or skipping the Sundays within a grand total of forty.

- Several sources claim Lent ends with the evening prayers on Maundy Thursday. (This year, the 13th April.) I've seen this a few places.
- I found one claiming it ends on Good Friday. (This year, the 14th April.)
- Some claim it ends on midnight the day before Easter. (This year, the 15th April.)
- Somewhere I thought I read it ended on the 8th this year, which is pretty clearly too short. You can't get forty out of that.
- Skipping the Sundays within a grand total of forty would have it end on the 10th, which I have seen nowhere.
- "Skipping the Sundays and making the rest total forty" would agree with an ending of April 15, unless the Triduum also doesn't count in which case it'd be the 13th but then NOTHING gives a total of forty. And forty seemed to be pretty majorly symbolic.

My confusion is almost certainly due to the variations in Lent in the various denominations. Web sites don't often say whom they represent; they say only "This Is The One True Answer".

So, LJ-friends, help? Roman Catholic Lent.

Comments

[therobbergirl.livejournal.com]

It ends this Saturday or Sunday (I forget if Palm Sunday is part of Lent). Monday kicks off Holy Week (unless it's Palm Sunday).

You can tell by reading the church bulletins and see when they stop saying Lenten Thursday, etc. and start saying Holy Thursday, etc.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

So that would be where I got the 8th! OK, are you going to church in the next couple of weeks? You can scout it out for me and tell me when's the real date!

[cassidyrose.livejournal.com]

Yup, Palm Sunday is part of it as is all of Holy Week.