Years ago I was very much struck by the idea that anything we give up for Lent should be something we will take back up with joy when our period of sorrow ends at Easter. I find a lot of value in that, particularly since the idea of "giving something up for Lent" has expanded into mainstream culture and often gotten mixed up with mainstream ideas that don't embrace loving ourselves as part of God's good creation. For instance, I regularly hear "giving up" suggestions that seem more rooted in diet culture than faith. And then intertwined with ideas about our not being acceptable human beings at our current weight or "good" and "bad" foods. I don't want to debate whether weight loss is helpful or possible, that's a question for doctors and researchers, but I absolutely stand on the fact that God loves us flaws and all and that God made the sugar cane just as much as the spinach leaf. That said, if we want to give up something for Lent, it needs to fall in the category of 'nice to have' not necessity and if we choose a food, for many of us that is treats like candy, soda, and alcohol. And, if it's a struggle for us to give those things up, there's usually at least minimal social support for the struggle to stick to what you gave up for Lent. Or at least less social pressure to take it up again - "I gave it up for Lent" is often a conversation ender for why you aren't having a drink or dessert in a way "I don't feel like it" should be bit often isn't.
But I don't think Lent is actually the ideal time, liturgically, if we want to give up something bad for us or take up something good for us (individually or communally) permanently for our faith. Of course, if you feel ready now or feel called now, whenever now is, now is the right time. But, I think there is a value in providing communal support for long-term changes (or trying on changes to see if they improve our lives and help us better care for God's creation) and encouraging us to consider long term changes. We have two celebrations of new life annually in the liturgical calendar, Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus and Easter when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the continuation of the world-changing movement he started despite his death at the hands of the authorities. Easter seems like a good fit for encouraging long-term changes both on the secular and liturgical calendar. It allows those who find it helpful to use Lent for that purpose to get continued support, extra support for those who find that their life improved when they gave up some extra for Lent and want to do it permanently, and a reminder and encouragement for all of us to look at how we can better live our faith (and ACT on it) whether by making a change for our collective good or to treat ourselves with the care we deserve as a child of God.
So what are you giving up for Easter?
