In Sacred Scripture, the number forty is a sign of repentance:

• God made it rain for forty days and forty nights in the days of Noah (Gen 7:4 – they only ate fish on the ark, not meat and this is one reason why Catholics historically gave up meat during Lent)
• Moses spent forty days fasting on Mount Sinai with God (Exodus 24:18)
• The People of Israel people wandered forty years traveling to the Promised Land (Numbers 14:33)
• Elijah spent forty days and forty nights walking to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8)
• Jonah prophesied forty days of judgment for Nineveh to repent (Jonah 3:4).
• Jesus Christ fasted for forty days days in the wilderness, and was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-2, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-2)
• Jesus Christ’s was physically dead for about forty hours (3pm Friday till 7am Sunday)

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts for 46 days till Easter. The 6 extra days (40+6=46) are the 6 Sundays in Lent which are not used to calculate the days of Lent since Sundays mark the resurrection of Christ and aren’t strictly full fasting days. Nevertheless, those 6 Sundays are part of Lent and are more somber than other Sundays – for example, the word of praise “alleluia” is not said or sung even on these 6 Sundays of Lent.

Important days in Lent:

• Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. This is the day before Lent begins. It’s called “fat” because people stuff themselves before the fasting begins the next day on Ash Wednesday.
• Ash Wednesday. This is the first day of Lent and it always begins on Wednesday. In Catholic Churches, people receive ashes on their foreheads to remind themselves that they will one day die: “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” Catholics are allowed to eat only one and a half meals on this day, and no meat (one meatless meal and two half portion meatless meals).
• Palm Sunday. The Sunday before Easter Sunday. It focuses on Christ’s entry into Jerusalem and His upcoming passion and death.
• Maundy Thursday. The Thursday before Easter. It recalls the Last Supper of Jesus with the Apostles.
• Good Friday. The memorial of the saving death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Catholics are allowed to eat only one meatless meal and two half portion meatless meals on this day.
• Holy Saturday. The memorial of Christ being buried and descending to save the Old Testament people and bring them into Heaven.
• Easter Sunday. The third day after the crucifixion and the greatest feast day of the year. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead – the most important event that proves that Christianity is true.