Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent for Christians. It ends on April 9, at Easter. Renunciation of food and drink such as meat and alcohol, as well as the consumption of television and cell phones, is considered a symbol of penance and spiritual renewal. In the seven weeks before Easter, many Christians also set aside more time for rest, reflection, and prayer to grow closer to themselves and God.
Catholic faithful receive an ash cross on their foreheads
In the Catholic Church, on Ash Wednesday, the priest draws a cross of ashes on the forehead of those who attend the service as a symbol of spiritual purification and transience. According to Catholic tradition, fasting can also be a confession of sins with the aim of repentance. In the evangelical church, many people participate in the “7 weeks without” fasting initiative. The aim is to get out of the usual ways of consumption and behavior and find new goals in life. This year the motto of the initiative is “Shining! Seven weeks without discouragement”. According to the organizers, Action 2023 is not just about enlightenment, but also about radiating it to others through your own words and actions.
At the end of winter, many people also fast with a desire for holistic wellness. At the same time, many praise spiritual freedom while not eating. In this context, “fasting” is often used interchangeably with “diet” and “weight loss”. “Corrective fasting” and “intermittent fasting” are particularly popular.
Fasting traditions exist in many religions
The word “fast” comes from Old High German and means something like “wait” or “watch”. Fasting or asceticism is an integral part not only in German-speaking countries, but in many cultures and religions. “Asceticism”, on the other hand, comes from the Greek and means “practice”, meaning practical self-training and self-control.
Almost all religions have periods of fasting. Christian Lent has its origins in Jewish tradition, as in Judaism fasting is common, for example, in the seven days before Easter and on Yom Kippur. According to tradition, Jesus also went into the desert to fast for 40 days. During the fasting month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food and drink until sunset. This rule of fasting only ends at dusk, when you can no longer distinguish a white thread from a black thread.
Although today alcohol such as beer and wine is often avoided during Lent, the consumption of alcoholic beverages used to be allowed in monasteries during Lent. The main reason for this was the poor water quality in the Middle Ages. In addition to alcohol, many families still traditionally abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday. In the Middle Ages, however, Catholic monasteries were also extremely resourceful in circumventing this rule. Because beavers and waterfowl live in or near water, they have been declared as “fish” and therefore can be eaten. In Swabia, mouth swaps are also often called “Herrgottsbscheißerle” (Herrgottsbscheißerle) because during Lent you can “hide” the meat filling in dumplings.
Carnival is closely linked to Lent
Carnival, also known as Fasching in Bavaria, is closely linked to Lent. On Shrove Monday and Shrove Tuesday, there is another big celebration before the start of Lent, on Ash Wednesday. Superstition holds that Carnival is supposed to ward off winter. In the old days, however, Carnival was also a time for great celebrations, drinking and eating to prevent food that should not be consumed during Lent from spoiling.
Trending: “Dry January” and climate fasting
Even though fasting is practiced less and less in preparation for Easter, regularly abstaining from it is back in fashion. Teenagers and young people in particular took part in “Dry January” last month and abstained from alcohol for a month after Christmas and New Years. The climate crisis has also led to the trend towards “climate fasting”, i.e. forgoing climate-damaging actions with the aim of producing as little CO2 as possible and reducing the individual ecological footprint. This includes, for example, avoiding air travel and car travel. The Protestant Church also regularly urges people to avoid climate-damaging behavior in lieu of meat and alcohol.
Renunciation is only possible in the affluent society
In the meantime, voices have been raised time and again that see deprivation as a luxury of affluent society. Because only those who have more than they need can do without. Statistically, the individual ecological footprint of wealthy people is many times greater than that of people living in poverty. For example, those living in poverty don’t have to do without climate-damaging air travel or an SUV because they can’t afford it anyway. Journalist Anna Mayr, who grew up in poverty, wrote a book about it called “Die Miserable” and says you have to be able to make sacrifices. She also criticizes the fact that society often fails to value and recognize that people with lower incomes also live more ecologically.