Do you do Lent?

[minestrone]

I suspect it's an Anglican/Catholic thing rather than a specifically God thing.

If you ignore the bit about Jesus fasting for 40 days in the desert.

[NotAllThere]

If you ignore the bit about Jesus fasting for 40 days in the desert.

The requirement for Christians to fast at that time is entirely a church invention. It's not something specifically commanded in scripture. Like Easter and Christmas, it's rooted in pagan practice.