By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert and in spiritual preparation for the celebration of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
This season of penance is an intense moment of the Church's penitential practice and are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and charitable and missionary works.
The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches also observe the season of Lent. Many modern Protestant Churches consider the observation of Lent to be a choice, rather than an obligation.
Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, lasts 40 days not counting Sundays and ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter.
In 2009, Ash Wednesday will fall on February 25 and Easter will fall on April 12.
February
.S..M..T..W..T..F...S
..............25 26 27 28 = 4 days.
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 = 6 days, 10 days total.
08 09 10 11 12 13 14 = 6 days, 16 days total.
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 = 6 days, 22 days total.
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 = 6 days, 28 days total.
29 30 31 01 02 03 04 = 6 days, 34 days total.
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 = 6 days, 40 days total.
12 Easter
If you give something up for Lent then you do not have to give it up on Sundays.
But if you are giving up something constructive like sarcasm, then please keep it up even on Sundays and after Lent is over.