Lent

==== Abstinence from meat and animal produce ====
[[File:Linsen-Möhren-Orangensuppe (5417587993).jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|Lenten suppers often consist of a vegetarian soup, bread, and water in order to maintain the season's focus on abstinence, sacrifice, and simplicity.]]
Fasting has historically included abstinence from alcohol, meat, [[lacticinia]] (dairy products), and other edible produce derived from animals (such as eggs), which has been enjoined continuously for the whole duration of the season including Sundays.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Questions Regarding the Lenten Fast |date=1881 |publisher=Browne and Nolan |page=32 |language=English|journal=The Irish Ecclesiastical Record}}</ref><ref name="Kellner1908">{{cite book |last1=Kellner |first1=Karl Adam Heinrich |title=Heortology: A History of the Christian Festivals from Their Origin to the Present Day |date=1908 |publisher=K. Paul |page=99 |language=English}}</ref> Throughout [[Christendom]], some adherents continue to mark the season with a traditional abstention from the consumption of meat ([[Christian vegetarianism|vegetarianism]]), most notably among Catholics, Lutherans, and Anglicans.<ref name="ELCA1978"/><ref name="Gavitt1991"/> The form of abstention may vary depending on what is customary; some abstain from meat for 40 days, some do so only on Fridays, or some only on Good Friday itself.

In Catholicism, lacticinia may be consumed by penitents in Spain and its colonised territories, per a pontifical decree of [[Pope Alexander VI]]. Until 1741, meat and lacticinia were otherwise forbidden for the whole season of Lent, including Sundays. In that year, [[Pope Benedict XIV]] allowed for the consumption of meat and lacticinia during certain fasting days of Lent.<ref name="Thurston1904">{{cite book |last1=Thurston |first1=Herbert |title=Lent and Holy Week|date=1904 |publisher=[[Longmans, Green]] |page=57 |language=English}}</ref>

Abstinence from alcohol during the season of Lent has traditionally been enjoined "in remembrance of the Sacred Thirst of Our Lord on the Cross."<ref name="Kellner1908"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Regulations for Lent |date=1905 |publisher=[[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto]] |page=4 |language=English |quote=The Faithful are recommended during Lent to abstain from all intoxicating drinks in remembrance of the Sacred Thirst of Our Lord on the Cross.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Temperance: Total Abstinence During Lent |journal=[[The Sacred Heart Review]] |date=1900 |volume=23 |issue=10 |page=162}}</ref>

Dispensations for the allowance of certain foods have been given throughout history, depending on the climate in that part of the world. For example, [[Giraldus Cambrensis]], in his ''Itinerary of [[Baldwin of Forde|Archbishop Baldwin]] through [[Wales]]'', reports that "in [[Germany]] and the [[arctic]] regions", "great and religious persons" eat the tail of [[beaver]]s as "fish" because of its superficial resemblance to "both the taste and colour of fish." The animal was very abundant in Wales at the time.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1148 |title=Baldwin's Itinerary Through Wales No.&nbsp;2 by Giraldus Cambrensis |publisher=Gutenberg.org |date=31 December 2001 |access-date=27 August 2010}}</ref> [[Saint Thomas Aquinas]] allowed for the consumption of [[candy]] during Lent, because "sugared spices", such as [[comfits]], were, in his opinion, digestive aids on par with medicine rather than food.<ref>{{cite book |last=Richardson |first=Tim H. |title=Sweets: A History of Candy |publisher=Bloomsbury |year=2002 |isbn=978-1-58234-229-0 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/sweets00timr/page/147 147–148] |url=https://archive.org/details/sweets00timr/page/147 }}</ref>

Fasting practices are considerably relaxed in Western societies today, though in the Eastern Orthodox, [[Oriental Orthodox]], [[Eastern Catholic]], and [[Byzantine Rite Lutheranism|Eastern Lutheran]] Churches abstinence from all animal products including eggs, fish, fowl, and [[milk]] is still commonly practiced, so that, where this is observed, only vegetarian (or [[vegan]]) meals are consumed for the whole of Lent, 48 days in the [[Byzantine Rite]]. The [[Fasting and abstinence in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Ethiopian Orthodox Church's practices]] require a fasting period that is a great deal longer, and there is some dispute over whether fish consumption is permissible.

In the traditions of Lent-observing Western Christian churches, abstinence from eating some form of food (generally meat, but not dairy or fish products) is distinguished from fasting. In principle, abstinence is to be observed in Western Christianity on Ash Wednesday and on every Friday of the year that is not a [[solemnity]] (a liturgical feast day of the highest rank); but in each country the [[episcopal conference]] can determine the form it is to take, perhaps replacing abstinence with other forms of penance.<ref name="canons"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cuf.org/2007/05/faith-fact-lent-discipline-and-history/|title=Catholics United for the Faith – Lent – Discipline and History – Teaching the Catholic Faith|work=Catholics United for the Faith – Catholics United for the Faith is an international lay apostolate founded to help the faithful learn what the Catholic Church teaches.}}</ref><ref>Colin B. Donovan, [http://www.ewtn.com/faith/lent/fast.htm Fast and Abstinence]. Retrieved 28 December 2007.</ref>