My Brief explantion on Lent
Lent is an extended time of preparation for Easter. For most Christians Lent begins on Wednesday and ends the Saturday evening before Easter Sunday, for a total of 46 days. It's a time to reflect on the meaning of Easter and the events leading up to it.

Traditionally during Lent followers fast for the duration of Lent by "giving up" something. This has evolved from mainly food, to [modern perceptions of a new kind of fasting] giving up actions or objects. Usually people pick something that will be especially hard for them (candy, meat, etc...one friend of mine in the past gave up sex, and last year another friend in college "gave up" the internet and instant messaging[except the essential email checking for classes]--I thought that was pretty intense!). Every time that you crave or desire something that you're fasting for during Lent instead of giving in to the desire, it instead should be a time to reflect on God. It is a time of expressing by action (or non-action I guess) your devotion and appreciation for God. (For instance, many people have a prayertime instead of a meal when they fast). For me, fasting is a discipline and is personally very hard at times. It makes me realize how weak I am, but at the same time realizing how amazing God is and what a sacrifice (so many thousands of times harder than anything I could give up) it was to willfully put himself through torture and die on the cross for us.