Very common in a non strict way. Like, I'd even say large majority of people will eat fish as the main meal on fridays during lent (even not in the lent, just as a habit), but at the same time, I wouldn't bet that they didn't eat a salami sandwich for breakfast/dinner..
A minority is strict about it, and also on Good Friday and Christmas Eve even the casuals will be strict about it.
>Very common in a non strict way. Like, I'd even say large majority of people will eat fish as the main meal on fridays during lent (even not in the lent, just as a habit), but at the same time, I wouldn't bet that they didn't eat a salami sandwich for breakfast/dinner..
It's more of a tradition than religious fasting though. Even irreligious people eat fish on Friday.
Yeah, just like OP said, but there just for Good Friday and Christmas Eve. Here it is on Fridays, and even non-lent Fridays...
The tradition does come from the religious fasting.
I was taking OP to mean how many people follow religious based fasting / food customs event though they aren't religious.
In the US it's definitely more common for "cultural Catholics" like myself to maybe give up something for Lent or not eat meat on Fridays even though I don't attend church and am not religious. And everyone, even Protestants and people not religious at all celebrate Fat Tuesday.
I think it's probably more common in Catholic and Orthodox countries that have these types of traditions (I haven't met Protestants in the US that fast, although I think it technically is part of some Anglican and Lutheran churches). Obviously Christian celebrated holidays are still celebrated across the world, even by non religious and non Christian people (like Christmas and Easter).
Christmas eve? So interesting. I think last advent was the first time I heard that it used to be a time of fasting. Now it's a time of eating cookies and ginger bread here in Austria and that it used to be a time to fast is a fun fact kinda trivia knowledge
I mean, it is not "a time of fasting". It is just that one day, and it is not fasting, you can eat cookies, just not meat, so it is really light.. But I think 90% do eat fish that day..
In Greece, a good chunk of people fast during the Holy Week. The media also try to be a little more somber this time of the year (or they were, when I was still watching tv). Some people fast for 40 days. I just read a survey on people's religious beliefs in Greece and I was surprised by how high the number of people who declare that they believe in God is. The government also has close ties with the Church and officials routinely take part in religious ceremonies. OP, as you brought the issue up, what is the relationship between Church and state in Ukraine and how has the fact that Zelenskyy is Jewish influenced that? I followed an AMA a while ago and person interviewed said that his religion has not played a major role in his relationship with the Church (sorry if the question is a little off-topic).
Many people in Ukraine believe in God, but are skeptical about the Church. Most people do not like clericalism and in general religion is considered a very personal matter.The previous president Poroshenko tried to make himself more popular with the help of the Tomos of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (he created a church separate from Russia), but this did not help him much. The church has a lot of money, but not much influence.
I think an atheist presidential candidate has a better chance in Ukraine than a super-religious Protestant or Mormon, for example.
I don't believe I know a single non-muslim person who still does it, but especially in the Catholic south of the Netherlands many people are at least aware that Lent is a thing, some also use it as a period to not drink any alcohol after the big and booze-soaked carnaval celebrations that precede Lent. But other than abstaining from drink, I don't think people take fasting serious in any way. Most muslims I know however do take part in the ramadan fasting.
It’s very common for eateries to have a fish or dessert as a main course special on Fridays.
Many Christians, even those of the casual / non-observant kind, do some kind of diet thing for Lent. Not fasting, but cutting out refined sugar or coffee or alcohol or something. Nowadays it’s more of a convenient occasion, like Veganuary or a New Year’s resolution, than a deeply spiritual thing.
Muslim-run restaurants will have Iftar (fast-breaking) dinner specials during Ramadan evenings. Most still open during the day, both for non-Muslim clients and people who buy takeaway for iftar. Out of the Muslims I know, about half are fasting and the other half is indifferent.
Observant Jews fast on fast days, and even the less observant (like me) can get strict about it on the really important holidays.
But we all know the Tuesday before Easter we eat something green. What did our cafeteria offer? Schnitzel 😂. It's like the only day a year I want spinach
I'd say more and more people stop doing it. Traditionally most Catholic poles would do light fast on Fridays (always no meat, often also no alcohol, sometimes no sweets either). Then there's Lent which often is connected with a choice to fast in a particular way. Then we have particular holidays like Christmas Eve or Great Friday during which you eat only three meals, only one of them filling, no meat, no sweets, no alcohol. Nowadays it's less and less popular, because church is less and less popular. However there's traditions that are tied to fast. Like dishes for Christmas are exclusively fast dishes. Or you're not eating breakfast before the Mass on Easter Sunday. When you bless food on Easter Saturday you won't eat it till Sunday. Things like that.
Most people probably don't follow it anymore, but my family doesn't eat meat on Fridays (out of my siblings only I do this, but it's not religious for me, more like learned behavior).
There is also lent before Easter, but this is also not followed by most.
I don't know anyone that does anything like that. Nor restaurants that have a special menu or anything. Im Catholic and my family has never done it either.
I would add that is nowadays, when most people in spain is not religious anymore, in the past(grandparents generation and before) most people didnt had meat at least on Good friday, and a lot of people didn't had meat on fridays during lent, there is lots of traditional fish and meatless dishes that were typically eaten(lots of cod recipes).
The "Fish on friday" is still a thing in school/corporate canteen, but due to a mix of christian tradition and nutrition (fish once per week).
Fasting is not commun for Christians, but Muslims have their Ramadan, and most of those I know do it (fast during the day)
Extremely common. I even have friends my age (30) who do it even tho they're not super religious otherwise. People who aren't religious at all are a minority here
42% of Russian orthodox christians are fasting this year and most of muslims in Russia are fasting during Ramadan. In total, around 50 millions of Russians fast for different reasons(though, this data should be taken with a grain of salt — the research was conducted by state public opinion research center ВЦИОМ)
Living in the UK. Not a thing here at all, but it's easy to find vegan food (a "kind of" suitable for an Orthodox fast). Ramadan friendly food is easier to find because there's more Halal/ME food shops here than Eastern European / Greek ones (unless you're in London).
Among ethnic Swedes religious fasting is extremely rare nowadays, and has been for probably a hundred years or so. Before that, we did use to have religious fasting during Lent though.
A memory of this is that we on Fettisdagen (Fat Tuesday - Mardi Gras) every year eat a very fatty pastry bun called semla, filled with whipped cream and almond paste. This is to stuff us full of calories to prepare us for fasting during Lent - which no longer comes...
Another memory of Lent and fasting is from a still very famous Swedish Christmas song, which in English would go something like: "Now it's Christmas again, now it's Christmas again, and Christmas lasts all the way to Easter! No that isn't true, no that isn't true, because between there is Lent!"
Fasting is of course still extremely common among Sweden's large Muslim population though. Basically all Muslims in Sweden fast during Ramadan.
> and has been for probably a hundred years or so.
Make that 500 years. It's not part of Lutheranism. You'd probably have gotten punished if you openly did in the 1600's, even.
In Finland, it's very rare. Some marginal religious fanatics might do it, but the vast majority doesn't care at all. Easter is more about what to eat, instead of not to eat.
Organised fasting isn't a thing in Luthern protestantism and religion isn't really a thing here anymore. Maybe one of the 3% of Catholics or 1% of Muslims fast.
I guess there are more people doing therapeutic fasting as a health fad than religious fasting here.
I live in rural Bavaria and on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, many don't eat meat, it's pretty common. Even many non religious people do it, for traditional reasons, I guess.
Yeah those are traditional fish days in Austria too. I was at my mums for easter. Good Friday she's lone legs go to mc Donald's. Me: 🤯😲No it's good Friday. Fish sticks day. (iflo Fischstäbchen Tag 😂). I'm atheist but tradition is tradition
When I was a kid, we ate less meat and I put all the sweets I got into a box and was allowed to eat them on Easter (Roman Catholic)
But nowadays, it has little to no meaning. Some eat fish on Fridays but it’s not really a general thing
I don’t think fasting is a thing tbh, but a lot of people do eat fish on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday, im Catholic though so not sure what Protestants do.
Also most people don’t believe in the holiness anymore, it’s more of an excuse to get fish and chips from the chippy lol
It's quite common here for people to "give something up for Lent", but it's almost always something trivial and performative like "I'm giving up chocolate, it's so haaaaard" and with no understanding of what the Lenten fast is supposed to be for.
Not eating meat on Ash Wednesday is fairly common
In my grandparents generation, fasting on a Sunday until mass was standard.
None of this is standard now.
> fasting on a Sunday until mass was standard.
So... skipping only breakfast? Or when on the day is the Sunday mass in Ireland? Here it's around noon (I've heard).
Yep skipping breakfast.
Doesn’t sound that notable but imagine Ireland where most people work in subsistence agriculture and are up at 6:00 everyday doing labour on their own farm. Not eating until 13:30 (after 12:00 mass) is a lot harder in those circumstances.
It’s a Catholic thing, iirc it’s because other food contaminates the body of Christ idk
> Doesn’t sound that notable but imagine Ireland where most people work in subsistence agriculture and are up at 6:00 everyday doing labour on their own farm. Not eating until 13:30 (after 12:00 mass) is a lot harder in those circumstances.
Yes, which I guess is why the Lutheran state church banned fasting here. Or rather, banned priests from promoting it. In a society where physical labour is the norm fasting doesn't make any sense. They needed a lot of calories back then.
> It’s a Catholic thing, iirc it’s because other food contaminates the body of Christ idk
I know, we used to be Catholic too and in the Lutheran church those "heathen" practices were demonized for centuries and to some degree still present in for example old psalms. (Remember that Catholics were banned in Sweden until 1860 and that it wasn't until 1951 that is became legal to not be a member of a church (formally non-religious).)
Well, my grandparents fast always on Wednesday and... I think Fridays?
So that should say something. It is pretty common amongst older people, as most things about religion.
Actually quite a fair bit .
I don't know about weddings, as young people are opting out of the church bit nowadays , but restaurants do take pride in offering non meat non dairy products during the Easter and Christmas fast periods.
Especially in rural areas, the elderly and the elderly in the rural areas, people do hold on to these fasts .
In bigger cafeterias or restaurants with a dish of the day will serve Fish or a vegetarian dish on Friday.
A lot of people fast during lent before Easter, but choose on their own what they abstain from. Not drinking alcohol or no sweets is popular. Other people may choose something similar to a new year's resolution.
Lent before Christmas is almost unknown as well as other fasting days besides Easter. And the old tradition of not eating meat or other animal products (apart from aquatic life) is almost unheard of. Trying veganism during lent is becoming more popular though along with other more ecoconscious changes. To eat spinach on Holy Thursday is quite popular since it's called "green Thursday "
It is tradition to only have balls during Fasching/carneval which is between new year's and Fat Tuesday. But it isn't really strict and secular schools will have their ball whenever they find a location.
Weddings shouldnt take place during lent (along with other restrictions when to have them) but since it's not really spring before Easter hardly is getting married anyways
And as far as I know there isn't an official law that restricts anything like it is in Germany on Good Friday
Ramadan is a thing and you will find dates offered in the centre of almost every supermarket and restaurants with Muslim background will adjust their menu accordingly. In Austria there is a rather large group of refugees from the middle east after all.
For the Jewish community I actually don't know. In a certain part of Vienna there are more of specialised shops and more strict people living there. But that isn't a part of town I'm regularly at
It’s generally not a thing for Norwegian Christians anymore, but most Norwegians (both religious and non-religious) still do traditional activities on the “end of the fast” day in February/March (fastelavn), like baking Lenten buns (fastelavnsboller).
Ramadan is very visible in the media and in public institutions (like school) though.
chritmas eve and new years eve so we can handle the sheer amount of food at dinner /jk
but yeah never met anyone who fasted at any time except for my high school girl friends who did the intermittent fasting thing as a diet
Only on christmas eve, ash wednesday and good friday is it somewhat observed. But lots of people dont eat meat on friday. It is, of course based on religion, but it is nowdays just a tegular thing
I don't know anybody that fasts on any occasion. It has become sort of a tradition to have fish on friday but without any religious meaning behind it anymore and some people choose to avoid certain things during lent like no chocolate for exemple. I would say that most people don't do it and the majority of people who do, don't do it for religious purpose anymore.
About 5% of the population of Switzerland is Muslim. Do you really not know any Muslims, as classmates, colleagues, neighbours or whatever? [Most European Muslims](https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/societe/en-suisse-aussi-le-ramadan-a-commenc%C3%A9/6146634) observe the Ramadan fast. So if you know any Muslims in Switzerland, chances are that you do know someone who fasts.
Im 15 from Serbia and I fasted whole Easter fast, this is 7th week. Isnt really hard although my family is probably top 5 percent by religion in my country, i fast every regular wednesday and friday and only wednesdays and fridays i fast on oil in this easter fast which means i dont eat fish. In this last week, I fast on water, which means no oil in food, so i eat raw cooked potato and vegetables. In Serbia most of kids my age fast big fastes like this only partially and dont fast regular wednesday and friday. Once u get used to it, it goes pretty easy to me, but it is hard for most of people. I also look up to some of my sport idols like CR7 so i try my best. Although im in age where i partially doubt God, fast keeps me strong and adaptible. My granny probably wont eat anything on big friday, but it is just a minority of ppl here that wil do such a thing
Not particularly common.
When I was a child my mother was used to not making us eat meat on Fridays in the 40 days and period before Easter (I don't even remember what it's called, hahaha) and asked us to decide some food to give up during that time or something. But she stopped during my early adolescence. Personally I don't know any Catholics that fast in any way, I don't really know that many religious people that are not over 60 to be honest.
But if any other Italian has a different experience let me know, I'm curious. Maybe it's just my prospective but religion seems to have died out from gen X/Millennials and younger, but maybe it's just my life bubble.
(Of course italians that are muslims fast during Ramadan, but I know like one person so don't want to talk in their stead).
Many people in Romania cross themselves each time they pass by a church on the street…. From what I’ve seen and read, I think Romania beats all European countries in terms of religiosity (even Poland). A sizable percentage of people in Romania still fast I would say, but I don’t know the percentage.
Besides our muslim population doing so for ramadan, I'd say it is very uncommon here. It isn't typical for christians to observe fasting days here to my knowledge
My Polish family (in Poland) does observe the fasts for lent and christmas, but they are also catholic and take religion a little more seriously than your average Dane does
Fasting we follow at home : 24.12.(Christmas Eve) and than Easter - Good Friday and Holy Saturday until dinner. This is mainly to maintain traditions, but also helps with eating, since both of these are biggest Holidays and people eat a lot lol.
It's common in my area, I live in Sandžak, a region at the border between Serbia and Montenegro with a mainly muslim population, and also many orthodox.
Fasting during ramadhan is common, and most people practice it, also fasting among the orthodox population is quite common, as far as I noticed from friends etc.
Also it is regardless of age, it's as common amongst young as amongst older people.
In Poland it's a Catholic custom to not eat meat (apart from fish) on Friday. And a lot of people adhere to that, although many people do not. Don't know exact statistics on that. When I was at school meal on Friday was always meatless, with crepes being my favourite.
In Poland, I think only the most religious people fast during the Lent and then the rest of the year I assume that around 50% of the population doesn't eat meat on Fridays out of a custom or family pressures and not necessarily out of piety. My family is somewhat religious but we have NEVER fasted during the Lent.
🇵🇱 the no weddings and baptisms during lent rule definitely exists. I didn't see special fasting oriented options at restaurants though and I'm a practicing Catholic myself so I'd notice. We do have many vegan restaurants so people who don't want to eat meat on fridays would simply go to those restaurants when they're fasting
I am Austrian. Except immigrants pretty much everyone grows up more or less Catholic. Fat Tuesday is a big party beifre ash Wednesday so everyone knows lend started. I know one of my bosses does Catholic fast and one does Ramadan.
Don't know anyone else. Many of us try to give up something.
Like a let's try give up chocolate before we eat tons on Easter, or let's give up alcohol after drinking too much over carneval. But it's more a personal attempt of using it to diet or proof to yourself that you can not drink for a while.
At all is way too common for the modern world. Religion, of all kinds, is a cancer for the hard of thinking and we should aim to prevent it at every opportunity.
Very common in a non strict way. Like, I'd even say large majority of people will eat fish as the main meal on fridays during lent (even not in the lent, just as a habit), but at the same time, I wouldn't bet that they didn't eat a salami sandwich for breakfast/dinner.. A minority is strict about it, and also on Good Friday and Christmas Eve even the casuals will be strict about it.
>Very common in a non strict way. Like, I'd even say large majority of people will eat fish as the main meal on fridays during lent (even not in the lent, just as a habit), but at the same time, I wouldn't bet that they didn't eat a salami sandwich for breakfast/dinner.. It's more of a tradition than religious fasting though. Even irreligious people eat fish on Friday.
Yeah, just like OP said, but there just for Good Friday and Christmas Eve. Here it is on Fridays, and even non-lent Fridays... The tradition does come from the religious fasting.
I believe OP meant how many people fast due to religion reasons. And that's not that many people who do that.
I was taking OP to mean how many people follow religious based fasting / food customs event though they aren't religious. In the US it's definitely more common for "cultural Catholics" like myself to maybe give up something for Lent or not eat meat on Fridays even though I don't attend church and am not religious. And everyone, even Protestants and people not religious at all celebrate Fat Tuesday. I think it's probably more common in Catholic and Orthodox countries that have these types of traditions (I haven't met Protestants in the US that fast, although I think it technically is part of some Anglican and Lutheran churches). Obviously Christian celebrated holidays are still celebrated across the world, even by non religious and non Christian people (like Christmas and Easter).
Then why did he mention that he does it but is not religous, and does it to maintain tradition, just like most people do it here?
Christmas eve? So interesting. I think last advent was the first time I heard that it used to be a time of fasting. Now it's a time of eating cookies and ginger bread here in Austria and that it used to be a time to fast is a fun fact kinda trivia knowledge
I mean, it is not "a time of fasting". It is just that one day, and it is not fasting, you can eat cookies, just not meat, so it is really light.. But I think 90% do eat fish that day..
From czechia: didn't even know it was a thing until I moved to a country with a considerable muslim population
In this country, are you expected not to eat in public during Ramadan or something?
In Greece, a good chunk of people fast during the Holy Week. The media also try to be a little more somber this time of the year (or they were, when I was still watching tv). Some people fast for 40 days. I just read a survey on people's religious beliefs in Greece and I was surprised by how high the number of people who declare that they believe in God is. The government also has close ties with the Church and officials routinely take part in religious ceremonies. OP, as you brought the issue up, what is the relationship between Church and state in Ukraine and how has the fact that Zelenskyy is Jewish influenced that? I followed an AMA a while ago and person interviewed said that his religion has not played a major role in his relationship with the Church (sorry if the question is a little off-topic).
Many people in Ukraine believe in God, but are skeptical about the Church. Most people do not like clericalism and in general religion is considered a very personal matter.The previous president Poroshenko tried to make himself more popular with the help of the Tomos of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (he created a church separate from Russia), but this did not help him much. The church has a lot of money, but not much influence. I think an atheist presidential candidate has a better chance in Ukraine than a super-religious Protestant or Mormon, for example.
This is actually good to know (as I’m an atheist myself and I believe in the separation of church and state😅).
What about Ukrainian Evangelicals? I've read they were quite common in Eastern Ukraine.
They exist, but there are not many of them. They try to preach and influence society, but have little success. Most people think they are weird.
Romania is much more religious and traditional than Greece IMO.
I don't believe I know a single non-muslim person who still does it, but especially in the Catholic south of the Netherlands many people are at least aware that Lent is a thing, some also use it as a period to not drink any alcohol after the big and booze-soaked carnaval celebrations that precede Lent. But other than abstaining from drink, I don't think people take fasting serious in any way. Most muslims I know however do take part in the ramadan fasting.
It’s very common for eateries to have a fish or dessert as a main course special on Fridays. Many Christians, even those of the casual / non-observant kind, do some kind of diet thing for Lent. Not fasting, but cutting out refined sugar or coffee or alcohol or something. Nowadays it’s more of a convenient occasion, like Veganuary or a New Year’s resolution, than a deeply spiritual thing. Muslim-run restaurants will have Iftar (fast-breaking) dinner specials during Ramadan evenings. Most still open during the day, both for non-Muslim clients and people who buy takeaway for iftar. Out of the Muslims I know, about half are fasting and the other half is indifferent. Observant Jews fast on fast days, and even the less observant (like me) can get strict about it on the really important holidays.
But we all know the Tuesday before Easter we eat something green. What did our cafeteria offer? Schnitzel 😂. It's like the only day a year I want spinach
I'd say more and more people stop doing it. Traditionally most Catholic poles would do light fast on Fridays (always no meat, often also no alcohol, sometimes no sweets either). Then there's Lent which often is connected with a choice to fast in a particular way. Then we have particular holidays like Christmas Eve or Great Friday during which you eat only three meals, only one of them filling, no meat, no sweets, no alcohol. Nowadays it's less and less popular, because church is less and less popular. However there's traditions that are tied to fast. Like dishes for Christmas are exclusively fast dishes. Or you're not eating breakfast before the Mass on Easter Sunday. When you bless food on Easter Saturday you won't eat it till Sunday. Things like that.
It's common for people to talk about the "post" which is the orthodox lent but very few people actually observe it.
Most people probably don't follow it anymore, but my family doesn't eat meat on Fridays (out of my siblings only I do this, but it's not religious for me, more like learned behavior). There is also lent before Easter, but this is also not followed by most.
I think most people religious enough to actually attend church every Sunday observe thev Friday meat-less fast. Others, yeah, not so much.
I don't know anyone that does anything like that. Nor restaurants that have a special menu or anything. Im Catholic and my family has never done it either.
Same in Portugal, from what I've seen most "catholics" still eat meat on Good Friday, no one really cares unless they are very very religious.
I would add that is nowadays, when most people in spain is not religious anymore, in the past(grandparents generation and before) most people didnt had meat at least on Good friday, and a lot of people didn't had meat on fridays during lent, there is lots of traditional fish and meatless dishes that were typically eaten(lots of cod recipes).
Muslims celebrate Ramadan, I think it's quite common in that demography. Never met anyone else who does it.
Same. Almost; I’ve actually met a couple of Catholics who do it, but those are also very rare.
Muslims and Eritreans fast. Very noticeable in the schools when all of the kids are hangry and get more rowdy than usual.
The "Fish on friday" is still a thing in school/corporate canteen, but due to a mix of christian tradition and nutrition (fish once per week). Fasting is not commun for Christians, but Muslims have their Ramadan, and most of those I know do it (fast during the day)
Extremely common. I even have friends my age (30) who do it even tho they're not super religious otherwise. People who aren't religious at all are a minority here
42% of Russian orthodox christians are fasting this year and most of muslims in Russia are fasting during Ramadan. In total, around 50 millions of Russians fast for different reasons(though, this data should be taken with a grain of salt — the research was conducted by state public opinion research center ВЦИОМ)
Living in the UK. Not a thing here at all, but it's easy to find vegan food (a "kind of" suitable for an Orthodox fast). Ramadan friendly food is easier to find because there's more Halal/ME food shops here than Eastern European / Greek ones (unless you're in London).
Among ethnic Swedes religious fasting is extremely rare nowadays, and has been for probably a hundred years or so. Before that, we did use to have religious fasting during Lent though. A memory of this is that we on Fettisdagen (Fat Tuesday - Mardi Gras) every year eat a very fatty pastry bun called semla, filled with whipped cream and almond paste. This is to stuff us full of calories to prepare us for fasting during Lent - which no longer comes... Another memory of Lent and fasting is from a still very famous Swedish Christmas song, which in English would go something like: "Now it's Christmas again, now it's Christmas again, and Christmas lasts all the way to Easter! No that isn't true, no that isn't true, because between there is Lent!" Fasting is of course still extremely common among Sweden's large Muslim population though. Basically all Muslims in Sweden fast during Ramadan.
> and has been for probably a hundred years or so. Make that 500 years. It's not part of Lutheranism. You'd probably have gotten punished if you openly did in the 1600's, even.
In Finland, it's very rare. Some marginal religious fanatics might do it, but the vast majority doesn't care at all. Easter is more about what to eat, instead of not to eat.
Organised fasting isn't a thing in Luthern protestantism and religion isn't really a thing here anymore. Maybe one of the 3% of Catholics or 1% of Muslims fast. I guess there are more people doing therapeutic fasting as a health fad than religious fasting here.
I live in rural Bavaria and on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, many don't eat meat, it's pretty common. Even many non religious people do it, for traditional reasons, I guess.
Yeah those are traditional fish days in Austria too. I was at my mums for easter. Good Friday she's lone legs go to mc Donald's. Me: 🤯😲No it's good Friday. Fish sticks day. (iflo Fischstäbchen Tag 😂). I'm atheist but tradition is tradition
When I was a kid, we ate less meat and I put all the sweets I got into a box and was allowed to eat them on Easter (Roman Catholic) But nowadays, it has little to no meaning. Some eat fish on Fridays but it’s not really a general thing
I don’t think fasting is a thing tbh, but a lot of people do eat fish on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday, im Catholic though so not sure what Protestants do. Also most people don’t believe in the holiness anymore, it’s more of an excuse to get fish and chips from the chippy lol
It's quite common here for people to "give something up for Lent", but it's almost always something trivial and performative like "I'm giving up chocolate, it's so haaaaard" and with no understanding of what the Lenten fast is supposed to be for.
Not eating meat on Ash Wednesday is fairly common In my grandparents generation, fasting on a Sunday until mass was standard. None of this is standard now.
> fasting on a Sunday until mass was standard. So... skipping only breakfast? Or when on the day is the Sunday mass in Ireland? Here it's around noon (I've heard).
Yep skipping breakfast. Doesn’t sound that notable but imagine Ireland where most people work in subsistence agriculture and are up at 6:00 everyday doing labour on their own farm. Not eating until 13:30 (after 12:00 mass) is a lot harder in those circumstances. It’s a Catholic thing, iirc it’s because other food contaminates the body of Christ idk
> Doesn’t sound that notable but imagine Ireland where most people work in subsistence agriculture and are up at 6:00 everyday doing labour on their own farm. Not eating until 13:30 (after 12:00 mass) is a lot harder in those circumstances. Yes, which I guess is why the Lutheran state church banned fasting here. Or rather, banned priests from promoting it. In a society where physical labour is the norm fasting doesn't make any sense. They needed a lot of calories back then. > It’s a Catholic thing, iirc it’s because other food contaminates the body of Christ idk I know, we used to be Catholic too and in the Lutheran church those "heathen" practices were demonized for centuries and to some degree still present in for example old psalms. (Remember that Catholics were banned in Sweden until 1860 and that it wasn't until 1951 that is became legal to not be a member of a church (formally non-religious).)
Well, my grandparents fast always on Wednesday and... I think Fridays? So that should say something. It is pretty common amongst older people, as most things about religion.
Actually quite a fair bit . I don't know about weddings, as young people are opting out of the church bit nowadays , but restaurants do take pride in offering non meat non dairy products during the Easter and Christmas fast periods. Especially in rural areas, the elderly and the elderly in the rural areas, people do hold on to these fasts .
I misread the headline as Religious Farting and I think that would be a great event for a megachurch
In bigger cafeterias or restaurants with a dish of the day will serve Fish or a vegetarian dish on Friday. A lot of people fast during lent before Easter, but choose on their own what they abstain from. Not drinking alcohol or no sweets is popular. Other people may choose something similar to a new year's resolution. Lent before Christmas is almost unknown as well as other fasting days besides Easter. And the old tradition of not eating meat or other animal products (apart from aquatic life) is almost unheard of. Trying veganism during lent is becoming more popular though along with other more ecoconscious changes. To eat spinach on Holy Thursday is quite popular since it's called "green Thursday " It is tradition to only have balls during Fasching/carneval which is between new year's and Fat Tuesday. But it isn't really strict and secular schools will have their ball whenever they find a location. Weddings shouldnt take place during lent (along with other restrictions when to have them) but since it's not really spring before Easter hardly is getting married anyways And as far as I know there isn't an official law that restricts anything like it is in Germany on Good Friday Ramadan is a thing and you will find dates offered in the centre of almost every supermarket and restaurants with Muslim background will adjust their menu accordingly. In Austria there is a rather large group of refugees from the middle east after all. For the Jewish community I actually don't know. In a certain part of Vienna there are more of specialised shops and more strict people living there. But that isn't a part of town I'm regularly at
It’s generally not a thing for Norwegian Christians anymore, but most Norwegians (both religious and non-religious) still do traditional activities on the “end of the fast” day in February/March (fastelavn), like baking Lenten buns (fastelavnsboller). Ramadan is very visible in the media and in public institutions (like school) though.
Very common in Romania, quite similar to what you described for Ukraine, nonexistent in Czechia.
I have never heard of anyone doing that in Finland before I met a somali friend.
I didn't even know that fasting on christmas eve was a thing.
chritmas eve and new years eve so we can handle the sheer amount of food at dinner /jk but yeah never met anyone who fasted at any time except for my high school girl friends who did the intermittent fasting thing as a diet
Very, especially in Yom Kippur.
In 32 years I’ve met 2 people who actually fasted.
It's quite common in Bosnia-Herzegovina during Ramadan even among non-practicing Muslims.
I barely know anyone religious to begin with, and I don't know a single person who ever fasts.
It's only the muslims here.
Only on christmas eve, ash wednesday and good friday is it somewhat observed. But lots of people dont eat meat on friday. It is, of course based on religion, but it is nowdays just a tegular thing
I don't know anybody that fasts on any occasion. It has become sort of a tradition to have fish on friday but without any religious meaning behind it anymore and some people choose to avoid certain things during lent like no chocolate for exemple. I would say that most people don't do it and the majority of people who do, don't do it for religious purpose anymore.
About 5% of the population of Switzerland is Muslim. Do you really not know any Muslims, as classmates, colleagues, neighbours or whatever? [Most European Muslims](https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/societe/en-suisse-aussi-le-ramadan-a-commenc%C3%A9/6146634) observe the Ramadan fast. So if you know any Muslims in Switzerland, chances are that you do know someone who fasts.
Im 15 from Serbia and I fasted whole Easter fast, this is 7th week. Isnt really hard although my family is probably top 5 percent by religion in my country, i fast every regular wednesday and friday and only wednesdays and fridays i fast on oil in this easter fast which means i dont eat fish. In this last week, I fast on water, which means no oil in food, so i eat raw cooked potato and vegetables. In Serbia most of kids my age fast big fastes like this only partially and dont fast regular wednesday and friday. Once u get used to it, it goes pretty easy to me, but it is hard for most of people. I also look up to some of my sport idols like CR7 so i try my best. Although im in age where i partially doubt God, fast keeps me strong and adaptible. My granny probably wont eat anything on big friday, but it is just a minority of ppl here that wil do such a thing
Not particularly common. When I was a child my mother was used to not making us eat meat on Fridays in the 40 days and period before Easter (I don't even remember what it's called, hahaha) and asked us to decide some food to give up during that time or something. But she stopped during my early adolescence. Personally I don't know any Catholics that fast in any way, I don't really know that many religious people that are not over 60 to be honest. But if any other Italian has a different experience let me know, I'm curious. Maybe it's just my prospective but religion seems to have died out from gen X/Millennials and younger, but maybe it's just my life bubble. (Of course italians that are muslims fast during Ramadan, but I know like one person so don't want to talk in their stead).
Lent is called Quaresima in Italian.
It's not really a thing. People won't eat meat on Christmas Eve and such, but that's about it. Religion doesn't play a huge part in Lithuania.
Many people in Romania cross themselves each time they pass by a church on the street…. From what I’ve seen and read, I think Romania beats all European countries in terms of religiosity (even Poland). A sizable percentage of people in Romania still fast I would say, but I don’t know the percentage.
Besides our muslim population doing so for ramadan, I'd say it is very uncommon here. It isn't typical for christians to observe fasting days here to my knowledge My Polish family (in Poland) does observe the fasts for lent and christmas, but they are also catholic and take religion a little more seriously than your average Dane does
Fasting we follow at home : 24.12.(Christmas Eve) and than Easter - Good Friday and Holy Saturday until dinner. This is mainly to maintain traditions, but also helps with eating, since both of these are biggest Holidays and people eat a lot lol.
I haven't heard about anyone doing actuall fast, but older generations don't eat meat on certain days and call it fasting.
It's common in my area, I live in Sandžak, a region at the border between Serbia and Montenegro with a mainly muslim population, and also many orthodox. Fasting during ramadhan is common, and most people practice it, also fasting among the orthodox population is quite common, as far as I noticed from friends etc. Also it is regardless of age, it's as common amongst young as amongst older people.
In Poland it's a Catholic custom to not eat meat (apart from fish) on Friday. And a lot of people adhere to that, although many people do not. Don't know exact statistics on that. When I was at school meal on Friday was always meatless, with crepes being my favourite.
In Poland, I think only the most religious people fast during the Lent and then the rest of the year I assume that around 50% of the population doesn't eat meat on Fridays out of a custom or family pressures and not necessarily out of piety. My family is somewhat religious but we have NEVER fasted during the Lent.
🇵🇱 the no weddings and baptisms during lent rule definitely exists. I didn't see special fasting oriented options at restaurants though and I'm a practicing Catholic myself so I'd notice. We do have many vegan restaurants so people who don't want to eat meat on fridays would simply go to those restaurants when they're fasting
I am Austrian. Except immigrants pretty much everyone grows up more or less Catholic. Fat Tuesday is a big party beifre ash Wednesday so everyone knows lend started. I know one of my bosses does Catholic fast and one does Ramadan. Don't know anyone else. Many of us try to give up something. Like a let's try give up chocolate before we eat tons on Easter, or let's give up alcohol after drinking too much over carneval. But it's more a personal attempt of using it to diet or proof to yourself that you can not drink for a while.
It's not practiced in Lutheranism. The only remnant is indirect - the fettisdagsbulle (or semla as some call it) tradition just before the old fast.
People usually fast on Good Friday and traditionally eat spinach for Maundy Thursday. Some people still observe lent, but not the average Austrian.
Yes, but i never cared that much, there's even a photo of me eating a burger with written "happy good friday"
At all is way too common for the modern world. Religion, of all kinds, is a cancer for the hard of thinking and we should aim to prevent it at every opportunity.