Whether or whether you are religious, you may be aware that Fish Friday is a tradition during Lent. But do you understand why? – Since, according to Christian doctrine, Jesus died on a Friday, fasting on Fridays became a method to commemorate his sacrifice.
- However, this sort of fasting did not involve abstaining from all food (unlike trendy modern-day fasts).
- It simply meant refraining from eating the meat of warm-blooded animals, since, according to popular belief, Jesus was a warm-blooded creature.
- However, cold-blooded fish were permitted to be consumed during fasting days.
Thus, Fish on Fridays and “Fish Friday” were born, among several other religious celebrations. According to NPR, the most intriguing aspect of the tale behind why so many people eat fish on Fridays is that it was one of the most major drivers of the expansion of the worldwide fishing industry.
- However, fish have been connected with religious festivals since before the Christian era.
- And as the number of meatless days on the medieval Christian calendar increased, including not just Fridays but also Wednesdays and Saturdays, Advent and Lent, and other holy days, the need for fish increased.
- Indeed, fish fasting days were indispensable to the expansion of the worldwide fishing industry.
Regarding the practice of consuming fish during Lent, there is an extra element. The Lenten diet consists mostly of fish and vegetables—foods that an average or poor Roman citizen might reasonably get. Meat was considered a luxury for the upper class.
Why do Catholics no longer consume meat on Fridays?
In Orthodoxy, Orthodox Christians are obligated to fast on Fridays (and Wednesdays), which entails abstaining from eating until the evening. Typically, the evening meal consumed after the fast is broken is vegan. In addition, throughout the year, Orthodox Christians abstain from sexual interactions on Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as during Lent, the Nativity Fast, and the 15 days preceding the Feast of the Dormition of Mary.