A traditional 40-day window of fasting before Easter, Lent is observed by around a quarter of U.S. adults, according to a Lifeway Research study. Three in 4 Americans (74%) say they do not typically observe Lent, while 26% participate.
Beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending during Holy Week, Lent serves as a time of preparation for the Easter celebration in many Christian traditions. The practice often involves the spiritual discipline of fasting.
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The 26% who currently say they observe Lent is statistically unchanged from the 24% who said the same in a 2016 Lifeway Research study.
Catholics (59%) and Hispanics (39%) are among the most likely to say they participate in Lent. Those who rarely or never attend a religious service are the most likely to ignore Lent (89%).
“Those who are not followers of Jesus Christ have little incentive to follow His example of fasting in the wilderness for 40 days,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “However, nothing prevents non-Christians from participating in Lent as they do in other cultural trends that call for refraining from an activity such as Dry January or No Shave November.”
Lenten practices
Among the quarter of Americans who typically observe Lent, most participate in some form of fasting. Asked about seven possible means of participation, the average Lent practitioner involves at least two methods of observing the season.
Half of those who participate in Lent say they fast from a favorite food or beverage (50%) or attend church services during the season (49%). More than a third say they fast from a bad habit (37%), give to others (36%) or pray more (34%). Around a quarter say they fast from a favorite activity (25%) or read Lenten Bible verses or devotions (22%). For 2% of respondents, observing Lent doesn’t include any of the seven options.
More than 3 in 5 Americans who observe Lent (62%) say they typically include at least one of the three fasting options during the season before Easter.
“Fasting is on the Christian liturgical calendar not unlike the Jewish Yom Kippur and Muslim Ramadan,” McConnell noted. “In Christianity, self-denial does not earn someone heavenly favor but redirects the believer’s thoughts and priorities toward the one they proclaim as their Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Catholics are more likely than Protestants to say fasting from a favorite food or beverage is part of their practice during Lent (55% v. 38%). Additionally, middle-aged adults, 35–49 (57%) and 50–64 (56%), are among the most likely to fast from those favorites.
For other types of Lenten fasting, those who attend church services more than once a week are more likely than those who attend about once a week to say they fast from favorite activities during the season (35% v. 20%).
Older Americans, 65 and older, are the least likely to say they fast from a bad habit during Lent (19%).
Those who already regularly attend church likely incorporate that into their observance. Lent observers who attend church services more than once a week (55%) and about once a week (61%) are more likely than those who rarely or never attend (31%) to say they typically attend church services as part of their participation in the season. Additionally, adults 65 and older (60%) and those in the South (55%) are among the most likely to include church attendance in their Lenten practice.
Young adults aged 18–29 (50%) and African Americans (59%) are among the most likely to say their observance of Lent includes giving to others. Also, those who attend more than once a week are more likely to do so than those who attend once or twice a month at most (49% v. 30%).
African Americans (54%) as well as those in the Northeast (47%) and South (42%) are among the most likely to include additional prayer during Lent. Those who attend church services more than once a week (43%) and about once a week (38%) are also more likely than those who rarely or never attend (23%) to say they’re praying more in this season before Easter.
Reading Lenten Bible verses or devotions is more popular among African Americans (41%) and among women compared to men (28% v. 17%).
While Catholics are more likely than Protestants to observe Lent, Protestant practitioners are more likely to say they read specific seasonal Bible verses or devotions (35% v. 12%). Additionally, evangelicals defined by belief, those who strongly agree with four key theological doctrines, are more likely than those without such beliefs to say they include these Bible readings as part of their observing the season (35% v. 18%).
Those who rarely or never attend church services are the least likely to say their season of Lent includes reading Lenten Bible verses or devotions (6%).
“For Christians attending non-liturgical churches, they may not even notice the season of Lent has arrived. It is not that they look down on the practices of fasting, prayer and charity. But if they participate, they may be exchanging additional time with God for other forms of self-denial,” McConnell said.
For more information, view the complete report and visit LifewayResearch.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Aaron Earls and originally published by Lifeway.
