In the church we are in the season of Lent. Lent is the period of time between Ash Wednesday and Easter. We say it is 40 days, but actually it is 46 because Sundays are not counted. This is a time when Christians remember Jesus' sufferings. Traditionally people will give up something (chocolate, coffee, alcohol, smoking, etc) to identify with those sufferings.

The reason that Sundays don't count is because the early church considered every Sunday as a little Easter. Jesus conquered death on a Sunday so the early church considered that a day of celebration. It is also the reason churches hold worship services on Sunday rather than Saturday.

Since Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Equinox, we tend to think of Easter as the end of winter and the beginning of Spring. It is easy to feel down during the long months of winter with its dreary weather and dark days. However, we always know that Spring is coming, and bringing with it warmer weather and sunnier skies. We know that Spring is coming, and just like Sundays it gives us a reason to anticipate, hope, and celebrate.