Lent: FCT residents speak on diet, lifestyle change

As the Christan lenten season draws to an end, some Catholic residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have described the lifestyle and diet changes made during the fasting as “wholesome and sacrificial.” Lent is a six-week (40 days) season of fasting and prayer which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on the Thursday before […]

As the Christan lenten season draws to an end, some Catholic residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have described the lifestyle and diet changes made during the fasting as “wholesome and sacrificial.”

Lent is a six-week (40 days) season of fasting and prayer which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on the Thursday before Good Friday, especially for Christians who abide by Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox traditions.

As the 2019 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 made during the period.

Ehi Agada, a teacher, said, “My father doesn’t eat yam during lent because yam is his favourite meal. So he sacrifices that in the period of lent.

“Fasting generally depends on personal conviction. Some people may decide to abstain from specific foods 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 distraction and focus more on God) and charity.

Agada added that most Catholics avoided eating meat for the duration of the lenten period, being that meat is a favourite part of meals for a lot of people.

However, some 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 periods. 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 were not the only ones who observed Lent.

He said  other churches like Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran and Presbyterian also participated in the lenten season, adding that some did not necessarily practice the “giving up” part of the season. (NAN)