When does Lent officially end?

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This may be an easy question but I really am not sure and people seem to give me different answers. Some say Palm Sunday, some say the evening of Maundy Thursday when the Triduum begins, and some tell me Easter Sunday. So which is it?
 
I’ve always understood Lent to end on the night of Holy Saturday. Basically when you attend Easter Vigil Mass.
 
Actually I believe the Triduum is liturgically considered one event. It happens through three days but in a liturgical sense it is only one event.
 
Actually I believe the Triduum is liturgically considered one event. It happens through three days but in a liturgical sense it is only one event.
Yes, apart from Lent and Eastertide. It’s it’s own 3 day, liturgical season.
 
I always thought it ended with the Gloria on Holy Thursday, and that despite the season of Lent ending, the Lenten fast continues until the Easter Vigil (because we are required to fast on Good Friday and encouraged to continue through Holy Saturday).
 
No it is it’s own, distinct liturgical season.
This is my understanding as well, although this “new”(last 40 years)? The dictionary definition of “lent” is from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, and that was always my understanding as a child.
noun
1.
(in the Christian religion) an annual season of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday and lasting 40 weekdays to Easter, observed by Roman Catholic, Anglican, and certain other churches.
 
This is a distinction without much of a difference.

In everyday speaking, we can generally say that Lent ends at Easter.

Technically (in this case, according to rubrics and the calendar norms) the Paschal Triduum is its own liturgical mini-season. Lent ends and the Triduum begins on Thursday evening.
 
I always thought it ended with the Gloria on Holy Thursday, and that despite the season of Lent ending, the Lenten fast continues until the Easter Vigil (because we are required to fast on Good Friday and encouraged to continue through Holy Saturday).
True, but the Gloria is also said or sung during the Solennities of St. Joseph and the Annunciation which happen during Lent; so I don’t know if that in itself would mark the ending of Lent.
 
True, but the Gloria is also said or sung during the Solennities of St. Joseph and the Annunciation which happen during Lent; so I don’t know if that in itself would mark the ending of Lent.
That is correct. It is also sung during the Chrism Mass. However, bells are rung during the Gloria on Holy Thursday, according to local custom, as opposed to the other three times during Lent when it is said. Lent continues after those two solemnities. It ends on Holy Thursday because the Easter Triduum is its own Liturgical Season. The Lenten fast, however, continues.
 
This is a distinction without much of a difference.

In everyday speaking, we can generally say that Lent ends at Easter.

Technically (in this case, according to rubrics and the calendar norms) the Paschal Triduum is its own liturgical mini-season. Lent ends and the Triduum begins on Thursday evening.
Sorry FrDavid for disagreeing with a trained man of the cloth. There is a slight difference.

Yes, liturgically (from the point of view of Mass celebrations), Lent ends with the start of the Holy Thursday mass with the Triduum being a mini-session in its own right.

But, for the purposes of the Lenten fast, the 40 days of Lent run from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, not counting the Sundays (in days gone past when the rules of Lenten fast were much more severe than today, the Church was nice enough to give some relief on Sundays).

So, if you had been giving up chocolates for Lent this year, the sacrifice should continue all the way until Jesus rise from the dead. Stopping your sacrifice before the climax just doesn’t make sense as you will then not be accompanying Jesus in his darkest hours.
 
Sorry FrDavid for disagreeing with a trained man of the cloth. There is a slight difference.

Yes, liturgically (from the point of view of Mass celebrations), Lent ends with the start of the Holy Thursday mass with the Triduum being a mini-session in its own right.

But, for the purposes of the Lenten fast, the 40 days of Lent run from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, not counting the Sundays (in days gone past when the rules of Lenten fast were much more severe than today, the Church was nice enough to give some relief on Sundays).

So, if you had been giving up chocolates for Lent this year, the sacrifice should continue all the way until Jesus rise from the dead. Stopping your sacrifice before the climax just doesn’t make sense as you will then not be accompanying Jesus in his darkest hours.
Note that I wrote “In everyday speaking, we can generally say that Lent ends at Easter.”

I’ll stick by that.

If a catechumen in RCIA class says to me “I can’t remember the difference between Advent and Lent, which is which?” If I respond by saying “Advent ends at Christmas while Lent ends at Easter” I would not be wrong.

If my friend the Rabbi asks me “what time of the year is Lent?” and I answer “Lent ends at Easter (as you know, around the time of Passover)” I would not be wrong.

I’m speaking in general terms. It would not be necessary for me to get into the small details of explaining that the Triduum is actually not inside the liturgical season of Lent. In a context like that, it would not matter.

In some contexts, there’s nothing wrong with making the general statement “Lent ends at Easter.” It could be perfectly fine to say it that way.
 
Note that I wrote “In everyday speaking, we can generally say that Lent ends at Easter.”

I’ll stick by that.

If a catechumen in RCIA class says to me “I can’t remember the difference between Advent and Lent, which is which?” If I respond by saying “Advent ends at Christmas while Lent ends at Easter” I would not be wrong.

If my friend the Rabbi asks me “what time of the year is Lent?” and I answer “Lent ends at Easter (as you know, around the time of Passover)” I would not be wrong.

I’m speaking in general terms. It would not be necessary for me to get into the small details of explaining that the Triduum is actually not inside the liturgical season of Lent. In a context like that, it would not matter.

In some contexts, there’s nothing wrong with making the general statement “Lent ends at Easter.” It could be perfectly fine to say it that way.
Of course. I am not saying that you are incorrect. Just pointing out that in certain circumstances there would be a difference as I have pointed out. Sorry I didn’t make that clear.
 
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