Non-Catholic Religions and Fasting

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Tis_Bearself

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I am curious as to the fasting practices of non-Catholic religions. If you are not Catholic and you fast for religious reasons, could you please comment below with your religion, how many days you (or members of your religion in general) fast per year, and the type of fast? I’m aware of Muslim Ramadan and Jewish Yom Kippur, but that’s about it.

For purposes of this question, “fast” means any kind of significantly restricted food intake. So, no food all day till sunset would be a fast, and bread and water all day with nothing else would also be a fast.
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
I am curious as to the fasting practices of non-Catholic religions.
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Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are encouraged to fast once a month for a period of roughly 24 hours. We are encouraged to abstain from food and drink and to engage in prayer during our fast. We are periodically reminded the fasting without a spiritual purpose in mind (i. e. giving thanks to God along with petitioning Him for needed blessings) is nothing more than going hungry. The money saved during the fast should be donated to the Church as an offering to the poor. For more information see this.
 
In the Southern Baptist (and most American Evangelical churches) fasting is considered a form of personal devotion. Each person is free to fast as they feel led by the Holy Spirit. Some fast weekly, some monthly, some not at all. Occasionally the pastors and elders/deacons will call for a church wide fast if the church is considering some huge decision, like maybe to move into a new location or build a new building. Even then there is nobody checking and making sure you are fasting. Fasting is also encouraged before special evangelical efforts to preach the Gospel.

Personally, I tend to fast when I’m facing a big decision or someone I’m close to is sick. Instead of eating lunch and/or dinner I will spend that time in prayer, bible reading and listening to worship music.

Edit to add: We don’t typically go around telling others how often and why we fast.
 
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These days of fasting/abstinence are prescribed in the 1662 BCP and upheld by the current Canons of the Church of England. I don’t know to what extent they’re currently followed. These days would have been carried over from pre-Reformation requirements but the vigils of the Saint’s Days drastically reduced. Pre-Reformation there would’ve been ‘festa ferianda,’ some 50 or so extra Saint’s Days when a vigil fast was required and only the most essential servile work permitted.

(Cut and pasted table.)

A TABLE OF THE VIGILS, FASTS, AND DAYS OF ABSTINENCE, TO BE OBSERVED IN THE YEAR.

The evens or Vigils before these days:

The Nativity of our Lord
The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Easter-day
Ascension-Day
Pentecost
S. Matthias
S. John Baptist
S. Peter
S. James
S. Bartholomew
S. Matthew
Ss. Simon & Jude
S. Andrew
S. Thomas
All Saints

Note , if any of these Feast-days fall upon a Monday, then the Vigil or Fast-day shall be kept upon the Saturday, and not upon the Sunday next before it.

DAYS OF FASTING, OR ABSTINENCE

I. The Forty Days of Lent.

II. The Ember-days at the Four Seasons, being the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after:
  1. the First Sunday in Lent,
  2. the Feast of Pentecost
  3. September 14
  4. December 13
III. The Three Rogation-days, being the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Holy Thursday, or the Ascension of our Lord.

IV. All Fridays in the Year, except Christmas-day.
 
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When I was a protestant Christian, especially in the non-Denom world, fasting was done often, the most that people would consume was juice.

It was not uncommon for people of all ages, for an entire family (every one who was old enough to understand the reason for going without meals) to fast for a day as a way of intensely praying about something. Teens and adults would fast for a week, and I knew people - my parents included - who at times fasted for 30 days with only juice.
 
I’ve never found a clear delineation in the CofE and expect some people conflate the two. One of the 16th century Homilies from the Books of Homilies which were written to establish CofE doctrine/practice deals with fasting but doesn’t delineate.

One of the previous Rectors at my church would practice abstinence on Fridays - no meat and generally simpler meals. I suspect that for many in the CofE today, abstinence would be confined mostly to Lent, but as another well known Anglican member on this board often points out, we’re a motley bunch.
 
This caused me to look up the an old internet joke guide to Jewish holidays:

The Diet Guide to the Jewish Holidays:

Rosh Hashanah - Feast
Tzom Gedaliah - Fast
Yom Kippur - More fasting
Sukkot - Feast for a week +
Hashanah Rabbah - More feasting
Simchat Torah - Keep right on feasting
Month of Heshvan - No feasts or fasts for a whole month. Get a grip on yourself.
Hanukkah - Eat potato pancakes
Tenth of Tevet - Do not eat potato pancakes
Tu B’Shevat - Feast
Fast of Esther - Fast
Purim - Eat pastry
Passover - Do not eat pastry for a week
Shavuot - Dairy feast (cheesecake, blintzes, etc.)
17th of Tammuz - Fast (definitely no cheesecake or blintzes)
Tisha B’Av - Serious fast (don’t even think about cheesecake or blintzes)
Month of Elul - End of cycle.

Enrol in Centre for Eating Disorders before High Holidays arrive again.
 
I’m Protestant, and always have been. I’ve attended churches from a variety of denominations, and this seems to be one of those things that is all over the place.

For a period of several years, my personal practice was to do a total fast (water only) every Holy Saturday. During those years, I also gave up meat, seafood, and some dairy for Lent. After being diagnosed with a serious medical condition, I had to significantly alter my fasting patterns, which meant no more total fasts and “rearranging” Lent, so to speak; I now give up what I used to give up for Lent every Friday.
 
That we are motley, 'tis true. 'Tis true, 'tis pity. And pity 'tis 'tis true.

I do a meatless Friday, all year round. Lent I have trouble with, as to fast/abstinence. But I always give up a normal practice, other than those related to eating, during the season.
 
In the Pentecostal churches I’ve attended, there has been no set time of year to fast but individuals will fast food at times when they are seeking God or to draw closer to him spiritually. Ministers will often fast, especially if they are involved in exorcism-type ministries.

At my church, they will usually call a church-wide Daniel fast once a year (eating only vegetables and water while avoiding meat and other foods for several weeks).
 
ltwin said:
At my church, they will usually call a church-wide Daniel fast once a year (eating only vegetables and water while avoiding meat and other foods for several weeks).
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Is there a limit on the amount of vegetables? I mean, I know nobody is going to be pigging out on vegetables but I just wondered if they made you eat small meals of them or just allowed you a regular sized vegetarian meal. Also, are you allowed to use stuff like cooking oil, salad dressing etc and can you eat bread?
 
Tis_Bearself said:
Is there a limit on the amount of vegetables? I mean, I know nobody is going to be pigging out on vegetables but I just wondered if they made you eat small meals of them or just allowed you a regular sized vegetarian meal. Also, are you allowed to use stuff like cooking oil, salad dressing etc and can you eat bread?
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I have no idea! I hate to say it, but I’m not one for fasting even when everyone else is doing it. They give you a paper with instructions, but I’ve never done it. And there is tons of information online about it since its pretty popular within evangelical churches.
 
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Lol. To clarify on a more serious note, there are two 24-hour (in reality 26-hour usually) fasts on the Jewish calendar: Tisha B’Av and Yom Kippur. There are four universal minor fasts, which last from dawn to nightfall: 17 Tammuz, Tzom (Fast of) Gedalia, 10 Tevet and the Fast of Esther. On the eve of Passover there is a fast for all first-born, however, an almost universal custom is to attend a festive meal on that morning which permits breaking the fast. Many people fast for half the day on the eve of Rosh Hashana as well.
Additionally, there are countless other dates listed in the Shulchan Aruch and other holy books that are “recommended” fast days (dawn to nightfall). These are for holy people, and you rarely hear about people doing them these days. The most common are probably Erev Rosh Chodesh, which happens 11 or 12 times per year depending on the year, and Bahab, which is 6 times a year.
I only do the ones I have to 🙂
 
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