Lent is the time between Shrove Tuesday ending when Christ is risen on Easter. It is a 40 day period EXCEPT for the feast days. That's right! You don't have to count the feast days. What are the feast days? Well, Sundays for starters. Each Sunday symbolizes Easter. So mathematically:
April 7 (Holy Saturday) - February 22 (Ash Wednesday) = 8 + 31 + 7 = 46. How many Sundays? 6. How many days? 40.
In the Lenten Journey I started, I did not account for Feast Days. But, it was a conscious choice. I know, for myself, if I don't keep myself in the swing of things, I will falter. (Sigh.)
The time of Lent and Easter are historically recorded in writings as early as 203 CE by St. Irenaeus. Although, even at that early time, practices were varied between the Eastern and Western church....