On Ash Wednesday and every Friday during Lent, including Good Friday, Catholics are not allowed to eat meat. Fish is often used as a substitute for meat-based meals. But of course, with the popularity of vegetarian and vegan diets, there are many other solutions besides fish.
As a way to honor Jesus’ death on the cross, Christians have not eaten meat on Fridays since around the second century. This is done as a kind of sacrifice and to remember what Jesus did. It’s also why we proclaim the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary on Friday. A hundred years or so later, Lent was created as a time to prepare very carefully for Easter. Because of this, fasting and abstinence were extended to most of Lent.
The Second Vatican Council simplified many Catholic customs and laws. Too much attention was paid to sin and sacrifice, and some of the rituals were pretty complicated. Many people believed that breaking Friday abstinence was a sin so serious it could land you in hell. They knew the whole thing had gotten out of hand.
In order to keep up with the stricter rules of Lent, the bishops kept the fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (which means eating only one big meal and then just enough to get by for the rest of the day—two smaller meals don’t add up to one big meal) and the meat-free Fridays during this time.
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Eating fish on Good Friday is a tradition that dates back centuries for many Christians around the world. But where did this custom originate and what is the meaning behind it? Here we’ll explore the history and significance of eating fish on this important day in the Christian calendar.
The Origin of Eating Fish on Good Friday
In the early days of Christianity, fasting was a common practice, especially during the Easter period leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection. As Christians prepared for Easter by fasting, they needed an alternative to meat and other lavish foods. Fish became the natural choice for a few reasons:
- Fish was plentiful and therefore an accessible source of protein even for poor, fasting Christians. Coastal towns in particular often had ample fisheries to provide fish.
- Unlike red meat, fish was considered an acceptable food to eat during times of fasting or penance. The church did not consider fish to be real “meat” that would break the Friday abstinence from meat.
- Jesus had been associated with fish, having selected fishermen for disciples and performing miracles with fish like the multiplication of the loaves and fish. Eating fish evoked these connections.
As early as the first century AD, Christians made the choice to eat fish on fast days, including Fridays. Over the centuries, this custom became church law and spread as a universal practice in Christianity.
When Catholic Law Mandated Fish on Fridays
In the early 20th century, the Catholic church reinforced fish consumption on Fridays and lent by creating an official church law In 1916, Pope Benedict XV mandated that Catholics must abstain from meat on all Fridays, not just during lent. This expanded an earlier church law from the 9th century that had required abstinence from meat on Fridays during lent only
The purpose was to set aside Fridays as a weekly day of commitment to Christ’s sacrifice. By sacrificing meat in their diet, Catholics would honor Christ’s own sacrifice on the day of his crucifixion. Of course, fish did not count as “meat” so Catholics began observing Fridays as a day for fish and seafood meals.
This Catholic church law presisted for decades until changes in practice began in the 1960s. But the tradition of fish on Fridays remained even after the strict rules relaxed.
Why Good Friday Became the Fish Day
While Catholics abstained from meat on all Fridays, Good Friday became the most important Friday fish tradition. Good Friday is the remembrance of Jesus’ crucifixion and death, a solemn day of prayer and repentance.
On Good Friday, fasting and sacrifice intensified. Eating fish on this day served as a particularly powerful way to honor Christ’s sacrifice. The fish also represented a dependance on God’s providence, as Jesus had relied on God’s care in his final days.
Even today, long after Fridays laws have changed, Catholics still tend to associate fish most strongly with Good Friday. It is the one Friday of the year that the majority of Catholics, even non-regular churchgoers, observe the custom of eating fish.
Regional Differences in the Good Friday Fish Tradition
While American Catholics often eat fish and chips, seafood pasta, or fish fries on Good Friday, the specific fish traditions vary regionally. Here are some of the differences:
- In Italy, baccalà, or dried salty cod, is the iconic fish for Good Friday.
- In Poland and other Slavic countries, herring features heavily in Good Friday meals.
- Across the Caribbean, Catholics enjoy fish soup seasoned with garlic and lime.
- In India, Catholics prepare fish curry or other spiced fish dishes.
- In Argentina and other South American countries, grilled or fried fish with potatoes is popular.
So the type of fish changes based on cuisine and local resources, but the meaning remains the same Catholics enjoy fish dishes as a Good Friday ritual.
Why Some Catholics Abstain from Meat Year-Round on Fridays
While Fridays were once meatless for all Catholics, today only a small subset of Catholics still abstain from meat on Fridays year-round. Two groups are most likely to carry on the year-round Friday fish custom:
- Traditional or conservative Catholics who want to uphold older church rituals may personally choose to continue Friday abstinence from meat as a spiritual practice.
- Catholics in some regions, like the Caribbean and Latin America, still treat Friday as a day for fish out of cultural habit, even if not mandatory.
However, the majority of modern Catholics only observe Lent Fridays and Good Friday as days to eat fish. The regular Friday fish commitment has largely relaxed.
Still, the Lenten fish days and especially Good Friday remain ingrained cultural and religious traditions for American Catholics. The historic custom continues to bind Catholic communities together through shared fish meals in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice. So if you see Catholics flocking to fish fries this Friday, you’ll know we have centuries of tradition behind this tasty ritual!
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Why do we eat fish on Good Friday and not meat?
Why do people eat fish on Good Friday?
The traditions behind the Easter date explained Good Friday is here, and it signals that Lent is almost over and Easter is just around the corner. This year it falls on Friday 15 April, and it will be marked by millions of Christians around the world. But the day comes with many customs, including the traditional meal of fish.
Did Jesus eat fish on Good Friday?
As some of Jesus’ disciples were also fishermen, fish is seen as a good substitute to meat on Good Friday, as it’s regulary referenced in accounts of the son of God’s life. In Jesus’ time, fish was viewed as an easily accessible, everyday item of food – and catching fish was much easier than slaughtering an animal or going hunting.
Is fish on Friday a good idea?
“Many people have searched the Vatican archives on this, but they have found nothing,” says Brian Fagan, a professor emeritus of archaeology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, whose book, Fish On Friday, explores the impact of this practice on Western culture. The real economic story behind fish on Fridays turns out to be much better.
Should you eat fish and chips on Good Friday?
Nowadays eating fish and chips on Good Friday has become a tradition, even for those who aren’t religious. So if you’re heading to your local chippy on the bank holiday, be prepared for a queue.