The Christian fasting season leading up to Easter is called Lent.
Lent is a period of preparation for Easter observed in many Western and Eastern Christian traditions. It is commonly associated with prayer, fasting, repentance and charitable giving. In Western Christianity, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and traditionally lasts 40 weekdays, recalling the 40 days Jesus is described as fasting in the wilderness.
The exact calendar and practices vary. Eastern Orthodox Lent begins earlier than Western Lent and uses a different liturgical timetable, while Sundays are treated differently in some traditions. Lent is not simply a period of dieting: its religious purpose is spiritual preparation for Holy Week and Easter. It also should not be confused with Advent, the season before Christmas.