Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (5th March) it is a special time in the Catholic Church calendar. The forty-day liturgical season is often a time of fasting, special prayer and almsgiving in preparation for Easter.

Lent allows us to remember Jesus’s fasting in the desert. It is a time of giving things up and a test of self-discipline. Some people will give things up for Lent; some Catholics do not eat cakes, sweets or chocolate. Others will do something extra either to help others or they might say additional prayers.