In Christianity, Lent is the forty day period leading up to and in preparation for Easter. Even though there is evidence for some kind of pre-Easter preparation as early as the beginning of the second century, Lent became more formalized during the late fourth and early fifth centuries in imitation of a forty day fast performed by monks in imitation of the penances performed by Jesus during his forty days in the desert when he was tempted by the devil. The Judaic origins of the forty day period of Lent are quite evident. Moses stayed on Mount Sinai for forty days while he fasted (just as Jesus is said to have) while waiting for the Ten Commandments. The deluge that caused the great flood lasted for forty days and forty nights.

Lent is also closely associated with the advent of Spring, so much so that the English word "Lent" is derived directly from the Anglo Saxon lencten or lengten meaning the spring and linked to the lengthening of the days as spring approaches. For most Christians, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday but in Western Christianity only weekdays are counted toward the total of forty since the six Sundays are celebrated as a kind of "mini-Easter" signaling Jesus' success in triumphing over sin and death.

During the early history of Christianity, Lent was the time when catechumens (adult converts) made their final preparations for Baptism and initiation into the faith. But for most Christians today, Lent remains a season for a renewed devotion to prayer, penance (particularly fasting) and the giving of alms.

The Temptation of Christ during his forty day sojourn in the desert is mentioned in detail in Matthew and Luke but only briefly in Mark and not at all the Gospel of John. The theme of The Temptation has also attracted the attention and inspired the work of great writers like Milton, Dostoyevsky (The Grand Inquisitor scene in The Brothers Karamazov) and the Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis. During the Temptation, Jesus was visited by the devil and tempted to make bread out of stones in order to assuage his hunger, throw himself off a high tower or roof (frequently identified with the roof of the Temple in Jerusalem) and trust to angels to catch him and contemplate ruling the whole world from a mountain top to which the devil had transported him. Jesus rejected all three of these temptations which would have brought him to commit the sins of gluttony, pride and avarice and fended off the devil's blandishments by quoting from Scripture. More about Lent

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