Lent

===== Catholicism =====
{{further|Fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church{{!}}Fasting in the Catholic Church}}
Prior to 1966, the Catholic Church allowed Catholics of fasting age to eat only one full meal a day throughout all forty days of Lent, except on the Lord's Day. Catholics were allowed to take a smaller meal, called a [[Collation (meal)|collation]], which was introduced after the 14th century A.D., and a cup of some beverage, accompanied by a little bread, in the morning.<ref>{{cite CE1913 |last=O'Neill |first=James David |wstitle=Fast |volume=5}}</ref> The [[1917 Code of Canon Law]] allowed the full meal on a fasting day to be taken at any hour and to be supplemented by two collations, with the quantity and the quality of the food to be determined by local custom. Abstinence from meat was to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on Fridays and Saturdays in Lent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.intratext.com/IXT/LAT0813/_P41.HTM|title=CIC 1917: text – IntraText CT|website=Intratext.com|access-date=21 November 2017}}</ref>

The Lenten fast ended on [[Holy Saturday]] at noon. Only those aged 21 to 59 were obliged to fast. As with all ecclesiastical laws, particular difficulties, such as strenuous work or illness, excused one from observance, and a dispensation from the law could be granted by a bishop or parish priest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.intratext.com/IXT/LAT0813/_P41.HTM|title=CIC 1917: text – IntraText CT|website=Intratext.com|access-date=21 November 2017}}</ref> A rule of thumb is that the two collations should not add up to the equivalent of another full meal. Rather portions were to be: "sufficient to sustain strength, but not sufficient to satisfy hunger."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gregson|first1=David|title=Fasting|url=http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?number=446700&Pg=&Pgnu=&recnu=|website=EWTN|publisher=[[Eternal Word Television Network]]|access-date=9 February 2015}}</ref>

In 1966, [[Pope Paul VI]] reduced the obligatory fasting days from all forty days of Lent to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, abstinence days to Fridays and Ash Wednesday, and allowed [[episcopal conference]]s to replace abstinence and fasting with other forms of penitence such as charity and piety, as declared and established in his [[apostolic constitution]] ''[[Paenitemini]]''; fasting on all forty days of Lent is still "strongly recommended", though not under pain of mortal sin.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rules for fast and abstinence |url=https://sspx.org/en/rules-fast-and-abstinence |publisher=[[SSPX]] |access-date=9 March 2021 |language=English |date=3 December 2014}}</ref> This was done so that those in countries where the standard of living is lower can replace fasting with prayer, but "…where economic well-being is greater, so much more will the witness of asceticism have to be given…"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19660217_paenitemini.html|title=Paenitemini (February 17, 1966) – Paul VI|website=w2.vatican.va|access-date=21 November 2017}}</ref>

This was made part of the [[1983 Code of Canon Law]], which made obligatory fasting for those aged between 18 and 59, and abstinence for those aged 14 and upward.<ref name="canons">{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P4O.HTM|title=Code of Canon Law – IntraText|website=Vatican.va|access-date=21 November 2017}}</ref> The [[Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference]] decided to allow other forms of Friday penance to replace that of abstinence from meat, whether in Lent or outside Lent, suggesting alternatives such as abstaining from some other food, or from alcohol or smoking; making a special effort at participating in family prayer or in Mass; making the [[Stations of the Cross]]; or helping the poor, sick, old, or lonely.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.catholicbishops.ie/2010/11/23/feature-friday-penance/|title=Friday Penance resource from ICBC|website=Catholicbishops.ie|access-date=21 November 2017}}</ref>

The [[Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales]] made a similar ruling in 1985<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/Resources/Penance/Abstinence.pdf|title=Fasting and Abstinence. Statement from the Bishops of England and Wales on Canons 1249–1253}}</ref> but decided in 2011 to restore the traditional year-round Friday abstinence from meat.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14929199|title=Catholics asked to abstain from meat for Friday penance|work=BBC News|date=16 September 2011}}</ref> The [[United States Conference of Catholic Bishops]] has maintained the rule of abstention from meat on Friday only during Lent and considers poultry to be a type of meat but not fish or shellfish.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=639219&Forums=0&Experts=0&Days=2009&Author=&Keyword=fasting&pgnu=1&groupnum=0&record_bookmark=1|title=EWTN Q & A, Response|website=Ewtn.com|access-date=21 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Questions and Answers about Lent and Lenten Practices |url=http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/lent/questions-and-answers-about-lent.cfm |website=usccb.org |access-date=February 26, 2020}}</ref>

The [[Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen]] (CMRI), a [[Sedevacantist Catholic]] congregation, requires fasting for its members on all of the forty days of the Christian season of repentance, Lent (except on the [[Lord's Day]]). The CMRI mandates under the pain of grave sin, abstinence from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and all Fridays of the year in general.<ref name="CMRI2018">{{cite web |title=The Church Laws of Fast and Abstinence |url=https://www.cmri-maine.org/2018/11/17/fasting-and-abstinence/ |publisher=Saint Theresa's Roman Catholic Church |access-date=2 March 2021 |language=English |date=17 November 2018}}</ref>

Even during Lent, the rule about solemnities holds, so that the obligation of Friday abstinence does not apply on 19 and 25 March when, as usually happens, the solemnities of [[Saint Joseph's Day#Catholic traditions|Saint Joseph]] and the [[Annunciation]] are celebrated on those dates. The same applies to [[Saint Patrick's Day]], which is a solemnity in the whole of Ireland as well as in dioceses that have [[Saint Patrick]] as their principal [[patron saint]]. In some other places, too, where there are strong Irish traditions within the Catholic community, a dispensation is granted for that day.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2138120/ |title=Thou Shalt Eat Corned Beef on Friday: Who Sets the Rules on Lent? |last=Engber|first= Daniel |date=15 March 2006 |work=Slate |access-date=13 February 2010}}</ref> In [[Hong Kong]], where Ash Wednesday often coincides with [[Chinese New Year]] celebrations, a dispensation is then granted from the laws of fast and abstinence, and the faithful are exhorted to use some other form of penance.<ref name=HK>{{cite web|url=http://www.catholic.org.hk/v2/en/know/aknow_02.html|title=Penitential Days – Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong|access-date=31 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307113330/http://www.catholic.org.hk/v2/en/know/aknow_02.html|archive-date=7 March 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>