Analysis of Easter

My family celebrates Easter as part of our religion. Our family is a religious mix of some Catholics, Lutherans, and Methodists. One thing we all have in common is giving up something for Lent. Lent begins 46 days before Easter, on Ash Wednesday. Our Catholic section of the family goes to church on Ash Wednesday and receives Ashes marked in the sign of the cross on their forehead. During the lenten season, each family member chooses one or two things to willingly abstain from. The most popular items each year are pop, chocolate, and ice cream. These are all things that members of my family enjoy eating or drinking and by choosing to give them up, we are in part "fasting" as our Lord did. This is a time for us to renew and become stronger in our Faith. It is a time for discipine and prayer as we prepare for Easter Sunday, the day on which our Savior rose from the dead to join our Father in Heaven. It is a time period in which we reflect on ourselves and what we can do to be better wives, husbands, parents, sisters, brothers, ...and most importantly better Christians. Our "fasting" period ends on Easter Sunday when we get together to dress up, go to church, and let the little ones hunt for Easter Eggs and open presents.