Lent is a time of penance, prayer and abstinence. Although there is a strong belief that Lent originated as a pagan practice, historians generally agree that Lent emerged in modern day Turkey around 325 AD. The earliest observances of Lent, covering a 40-day period, focused particularly on the practice of fasting.

The very name of Lent, which is an Anglo-Saxon term, refers to the lengthening of the day as spring approaches and has always been viewed as preparation for Easter (Resurrection Sunday).

A number of early church traditions evolved that brought significance to Lent. Some are as follows:

• In 601, Pope Gregory established Ash Wednesday and moved the start of Lent to 46 days before Easter (Resurrection Sunday). 
• In 1091, Pope Urban II made the reception of ashes mandatory.
• In Rome, penitents and sinners would be sprinkled with ashes and wear sackcloth during a period of public penance. 
• In the 10th century, the practice of placing ashes in the shape of a cross on foreheads became customary.

The Bible doesn't mention Lent by name. The practice of Lent as a religious observance did not begin until centuries after Jesus’ death. However, the Bible does describe Moses, Elijah and Jesus fasting for 40-day periods. Also, the Old Testament describes ashes and sackcloth being used to symbolize mourning, repentance or petitioning God. 

Lent is usually observed in the Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, United Protestant and Orthodox Christian traditions. However, Lent is not practiced as a religious observance in Protestant and traditional African American churches. 

After the Protestant Reformation, reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin viewed practices like Lent as not being explicitly stated in the Bible and considered them as "man-made traditions." Many Protestant denominations rejected Lent and its practices as a rejection of the Catholic church. However, many early non-Catholic denominations and churches still observed Lent and continue to do so today.

Protestant Reformation placed emphasis on Scripture alone and questioned the value of outward displays of religious devotion without a corresponding change of heart. This is particularly true for Protestant denominations which prioritize personal conversion experiences over liturgical practices like Lent and provides significance as to why many Christians don’t follow Lent and its traditional practices.