There are many sects of Buddhism it would be impossible to describe each in this format so I'll do my best to answer questions as if I were a Tibetan Buddhist. The school that Tibetans study is called Mahayana Buddhism.
The short answer is no, Buddhist do not have a holiday similar to lent because Buddhism has no concept of sin in the same manner as Christianity. The "laws" we follow is the law of dharma, the law of cause and effect. These Precepts are not approached as laws but as disciplines for training. Therefore breaking a Precept is being unskillful but not a "sin".
His Holiness the Dalai Lama prays and meditates for 6 hours at the beginning of each day. In Tibet prayer is going on all the time. They believe that mantras repeated over and over with time will open the mind to a consciousness which is beyond words and thoughts. However, in Japan, it's done very differently as they do pray to a god. As for myself I love the prayer flags. I imagine you've seen them but perhaps didn't know what they were. The concept is that prayers are written on flags that are strung together on a row, looking much like the flags seen on car lots when they're having a sale. Each flag carries it's own prayer and strung from both ends securely so that they wave in the air. Each time the wind blows the prayers are then released onto the wind, being sent all over the world. They keep the same prayer flags until they have unravelled completely. The prayer wheel is also a wonderful way to share prayers. Outside of temples there are cylinders that hold the folded papers with prayers written on them. As people walk past they spin the wheel releasing the prayers. There are many different ceremonies, rituals and holidays in each school and it's easy to become overwhelmed or confused when trying to educate yourself in Buddhism.
Meditation is an amazing traditional practice and different from any secular meditations that are practiced, imho. I invite you to watch the Dharma Brothers to understand more about how meditating can change a person everyday in so many ways.
If you are interested in watching an excellent movie about His Holiness the Dalai Lama I highly recommend Kundun , as well as the documentary of it being made. The Dalai Lama's teachings can be found all over the internet and they are an excellent way to open one's mind to seeing and reacting to the world differently. It doesn't matter which religion you are, or if you're an atheist the lessons are valuable tools for everyone. YouTube and Amazon seem to have a good selection of his videoed teachings. It's amazing to watch him and see the happiness the exudes from him. After all he is known for his fits of laughter. Sometimes at inappropriate times!
In Buddhism you learn not to harm any living thing. Which means most Buddhist are vegetarians. In Tibet, before China invaded you could walk up to a wild deer and he wouldn't flee because he had no reason to fear man. Besides the overall horror of self immolation it is against the teachings of Buddhist because they are harming a living being- themselves. However, I view it as a people who want their freedom back so badly, they yearn for their religious leader to return from exile, to be allowed to speak his name or own a photo of him, they wish to speak their own language and follow the other cultural practices of Tibet they take extreme measures. Because they do not believe in violence or harming others they choose a different path. Instead of lashing out at the Chinese military presence that has taken over their country and their lives they set fire to themselves as a plea, even a sacrifice to bring attention to the horrors in Tibet and for it to end. The famous picture from the Vietnam War of a monk self- immolating in the street might be familiar to many.
If you are interested in learning more about the conflict in Tibet I invite you to visit the FreeTibet website.
I have attempted to answer your questions properly. If I have made mistakes in my answers I appreciate any corrections one can give. I hope I have answered your questions in a way for you to understand Tibetan Buddhism better.
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