| Denomination |
 Times
of Fasting |
Fasting Ritual |
Reason
of Fasting |
| Catholic |
Catholics
fast and abstain from meat on
Ash Wednesday and Good
Friday, and abstain from meat on all Fridays in
Lent. For many centuries, Catholics
were forbidden to eat meat on all Fridays, but since the mid-1960s,
abstaining from meat on Fridays outside of Lent has been a matter
of local discretion. |
On
Ash Wednesday and
Good Friday, two small meals
and one regular meal are allowed; meat is forbidden. On Fridays in
Lent, no meat is allowed. For the
optional Friday fast, some people substitute a different penance or
special prayer instead of fasting. |
Teaches
control of fleshly desires, penance for sins, and solidarity with
the poor. The Lenten fast prepares the soul for a great feast by
practicing austerity. The Good Friday fast commemorates the day
Christ suffered. |
| Denomination |
Times
of Fasting |
Fasting Ritual |
Reason
of Fasting |
|
Eastern Orthodox Article & Timelines about the Orthodox Faith
|
There
are several fast periods, including
Lent, Apostles' Fast, Dormition Fast, and the Nativity Fast,
and several one-day fasts. Every Wednesday and Friday is considered
a fast day, except those that fall during designated "fast-free
weeks." |
In
general, meat, dairy products, and eggs are prohibited. Fish is
prohibited on some fast days and allowed on others. |
Strengthens
resistance to gluttony; helps open a person to God's grace. |
| Denomination |
Times
of Fasting |
Fasting Ritual |
Reason
of Fasting |
| Jewish |
Yom
Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the best-known fast day. The
Jewish calendar has six other fast days as well, including Tisha
B'Av, the day on which the destruction of the Jewish Temple took
place. |
On
Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av, eating and drinking are forbidden for a
25-hour period, from sundown to sundown. On the other fast days,
eating and drinking are forbidden only from sunrise to sundown. |
Atonement
for sins and/or special requests to God. |
| Denomination |
Times
of Fasting |
Fasting Ritual |
Reason
of Fasting |
| Mormon |
The
first Sunday of each month is a fast day. Individuals, families, or
wards may hold other fasts at will. |
Abstaining
from food and drink for two consecutive meals and donating food or
money to the needy. After the fast, church members participate in a
"fast and testimony meeting." |
Closeness
to God; concentration on God and religion. Individual or family
fasts might be held to petition for a specific cause, such as
healing for one who is sick or help with making a difficult
decision. |
| Denomination |
Times
of Fasting |
Fasting Ritual |
Reason
of Fasting |
| Protestant (Evangelical) |
At
the discretion of individuals, churches, organizations, or
communities. |
Though
some people abstain from food or drink entirely, others drink only
water or juice, eat only certain foods, skip certain meals, or
abstain from temptations, edible or not. |
Evangelical
fasts have become increasingly popular in recent years, with people
fasting for spiritual nourishment, solidarity with impoverished
people, a counterbalance to modern consumer culture, or to petition
God for special needs. |
| Denomination |
Times
of Fasting |
Fasting Ritual |
Reason
of Fasting |
| Protestant (Mainline) |
Not
a major part of the tradition, but fasts can be held at the
discretion of communities, churches, other groups, and individuals. |
Discretion
of those fasting. |
For
spiritual improvement or to advance a political or social-justice
agenda. One example: the ELCA's "Campaign
of Prayer, Fasting, and Vigils." |