. >> we are in the season of lent and with me is reverend hugh burrows who is the producer of mosaic and my mentor and colleague and we want to talk about lent because we are in the 40 days of lent, this wonderful season before easter. >> the 40 days that lead up to it so i thought we would look at how lent is formulated and what it's all about. the formula is the first sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox and by that we set easter and then we move back 40 days excluding sundays and holy saturday is 40 and so easter is the 41st day. it's lunar based. if we look back the jewish calendar for setting dates are also lunar based that's why passover will often overlap. >> that's right. >> with holy week but not only that, ramadan for the muslims is based on sighting of the new moon. >> first new moon. >> and when it's sighted is something of a controversy so people argue about that, and for the buddhists, in thailand and burma, it has to do with the new moon and coming of the rainy season. they have a lent when the monks have to stay inside of the monastery. and then a