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What will Germans give up for Lent?

DPA/The Local
DPA/The Local - [email protected]
What will Germans give up for Lent?
Chocolate, alcohol or smoking? Photo: DPA

Will it be chocolate, alcohol or sex? One in ten Germans will give up something naughty for Lent, according to a study released on Tuesday.

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Ten percent of Germans are giving up at least one bad habit for Lent which starts on Wednesday and lasts until Easter Sunday.

Despite the Christian origin of the custom, health benefits were most important motive for over 50 percent of those who said they would forego something, while 47 percent said they wanted to prove to themselves or someone else that they can go without something which is bad for them.

Sweets and chocolate were the most popular things to give up, with 74 percent of those asked saying they would be fighting a sweet tooth.

Twenty-four percent will be stubbing out the cigarettes and over half said they would stay off alcohol.

Just under a third of those asked would also give up meat, whereas eleven percent plan to function without coffee.

Some lifestyle changes were also popular, with seven percent giving up television - just ahead of sex at six percent.

"Young people are more open to the idea," said head of pollster YouGov Holger Geißler. They are also more likely to make it through the whole time without giving in, he added.

Of those who regularly observe the abstemious custom, 44 percent said they always made it through without caving in, with 42 percent admitting they had to fight hard against moments of weakness. 

Just 14 percent said they failed the challenge and usually gave in to temptation.

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