Lent

==== Sexual abstinence ====
The [[Coptic Orthodox Church]], a denomination of [[Oriental Orthodox Christianity]], teaches that during Lent believers "should refrain from physical relations to give themselves time for fasting and prayer ({{Bibleverse|1 Corinthians|7:5|KJV}})."<ref name="Samaan2024"/> Also, the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] enjoins abstinence from sexual relations during Lent.<ref name="Menzel2014">{{cite news |last1=Menzel |first1=Konstantinos |title=Abstaining From Sex Is Part of Fasting |newspaper=Greekreporter.com |url=https://greekreporter.com/2014/04/14/abstaining-from-sex-is-part-of-fasting/ |publisher=[[Greek Reporter]] |access-date=27 May 2021 |language=English |date=14 April 2014}}</ref>

In Western Christianity, through the [[Middle Ages]], Christians abstained from sexual relations during the whole of Lent.<ref name="Brundage2009">{{cite book |last1=Brundage |first1=James A. |title=Law, Sex, and Christian Society in Medieval Europe |date=15 February 2009 |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |isbn=978-0-226-07789-5 |page=158 |language=English}}</ref> In view of this, nine months after Lent, birth records were drastically low.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rigors of Lent Have Eased With Time |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-02-25-me-35840-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=25 February 1995}}</ref> In Spain, according to researchers from the [[University of Valencia]] and the [[University of Alcalá|University of Alcalà]], the custom of abstaining from sexual relations was widely practiced until the end of the [[Franco regime|Franco régime]], though some Western Christians voluntarily continue this practice today.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Catholic precept of not having sex during Lent was maintained until the end of the Franco regime |url=https://ruvid.org/ri-world/the-catholic-precept-of-not-having-sex-during-lent-was-maintained-until-the-end-of-the-franco-regime/ |publisher=R&I World |access-date=27 May 2021 |language=English |date=11 June 2020}}</ref>