Lent is part of a Catholic practice that begins on Ash Wednesday every year, but some aspects of Lent are beneficial to everyone. We can be sure that rituals can be very good things because God prescribed a number of rituals for his people to practice. Partaking of communion is one example. Lent is a 40-day period, not counting Sundays, leading up to Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday, and it is a period of repentance, fasting, and preparation for Easter. Learn more below, including suggestions for how to observe Lent.