The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with a vigil for Easter. It starts out as a 40 day season of instruction for Christians. Most churches and religions have moved away from the true tradition of this season and a lot of the practices aren't followed today. There is a significant loss of spirituality in the church. While Lent is supposed to be about penance or repairing damage done, people live according to the time they're in and have made season of the Lent more about fun and vacation. Even Christmas and Easter have lost most of their religious affiliation. .
Lent is supposed to prepare us for the deliverance event of the resurrection. We have lost the true meaning of it and made it about Easter outfits, Easter baskets, and Easter egg hunts. Now the season starts with Ash Wednesday, whose focus should be on our sinful human condition and God's acceptance of us. The week is often begun with a celebration leading up to abstaining from certain foods and activities, but we're more concerned with the celebrating part in this day and age. Sometimes certain colors are associated with the Season of Lent and the color for Ash Wednesday is gray, representing the ashes rather than purple of the rest of the season. The five Sundays during the Season of the Lent represent the death and resurrection of Christ. The first representing temptation and the need to be saved. The second is supposed to represent new birth and forgetting yourself. The third is the need to be defended from evil and the fourth is our need for sinful things and soul food. The fifth would be about entrapment of the world. .
The lack of rituals in the Western world concerning Lent has been associated with the churches offering fellowship and food instead of meditation and togetherness without words. If we're always talking, how can we listen to God's word? All of the rituals surrounding Lent are useless unless we can hear God and obey his commands.