Catholics in Samoa began their 40 days of fasting and sacrifice on Wednesday signalling the start of the Lent season, and so did many believers worldwide as an act of penance and reflection. 

As a Catholic tradition, it would be 40 days of fasting, prayers and almsgiving. People often go without their favourite things during this period.

Pesio Tamati, Marine Su'a, and Fuauli Mavaega are among the many who participated in the Ash Wednesday mass at the Mulivai Catholic Cathedral on Wednesday. 

Pesio Tamati, a devout Catholic, has been sacrificing meat for the entirety of the 40-day lent season for the past seven years and will happily do so again this year.

"It’s been a continuous sacrifice for me every Lent. I’m also looking at another sacrifice which is wearing lipstick to work every day," said Ms. Tamati.

"I'm sacrificing these things because they're the things that I like the most, the things I like to do or eat every day." 

She believed that giving up certain things could help to honour the sacrifice that Jesus made for humanity.

She mentioned that she and her colleagues attended the mass during their break from work.

Marine Su'a, another devout Catholic, previously abstained from alcohol and has decided to give up all types of meat for Lent this year. 

"It's going to be a challenge for me because I'm going to lose weight, but it’s very important because we are giving it up for Lent," added Su'a.

Fuauli Mavaega has decided to give up drinking beer and smoking. He talked about temptations and said he was sacrificing not only for Jesus but also for his family. 

"The temptations are always there, but it's about making a conscious decision to give them up for the 40 days of Lent," said Mavaega.

For these individuals, the Lent season is a time of reflection and sacrifice. 

Lent will last until the Easter weekend starting from Good Friday on 29 March.