"Lent" (from the
Anglo-Saxon word lencten) means "spring," but this does not imply the
period of spiritual discipline before Easter. As noted in The New
Westminster Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship, "Its origin probably lies in
the formal and final period of preparation of candidates for baptism at Easter,
with which those undergoing penance rapidly became associated." (p.299) By the
late Middle Ages Lent had become a period of penitential devotion for all,
especially by abstaining from festivities, by fasting and almsgiving, and by
dedicating more than the usual time to religious endeavors.