So let's get the Lent one out of the way first. For me the really simple answer is 'because I always have'. It was something we did as children and I've carried it on. The more complex answer, still at a personal level, is that yes, there is a spiritual discipline about it. It is tied into my faith, even though I fluctuate wildly as to what I actually believe and why, I do still continue to have some kind of faith and it is primarily rooted in and experienced through the Christian tradition. It is also tied into my belief in the importance of ritual. I'm also a strong believer in the discipline of denial - giving something up is very different to taking something up, though both are good. I could frame 'giving up plastic' as 'living a more environmentally positive lifestyle' but I find the language of 'giving up' actually more helpful.
As to why people give up something for Lent in the first place - well of course that's tied to Lenten fasting. I can do no better than point you in the direction of Maggi Dawn the Cambridge based theologian and priest. She has a good post here on the corporate/communal aspect of Lenten fasting and she starts her explanation here though it's also very worth clicking on the Lent tag in her sidebar and reading all the entries as she comes back to it on an annual basis (funny that). She's also written a book Giving It Up which I really must buy.
In the meantime I leave you with this:
"Lent – it’s supposed to be good for the body AND the soul. It’s supposed to simplify your life for a while, giving you time and money to re-focus. It’s not supposed to feed your vanity by taking off a dress size, but to give you the space to rediscover the true value of life, framed by a fresh vision of God. What part of your consumer lifestyle will you give up, for a while, to get your life into a new gear?" Maggi Dawn
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