The current precepts of the Catholic Church require the faithful to fast on two days each year and to abstain from eating meat on seven days each year. Truly we take fasting seriously! This may lead some Catholics to ask the simple question: was this always the rule? The simple answer is: absolutely not.
Fasting was not only once more rigorous during Lent, but there were also periods of fasting outside of Lent. This is of course most notably the season of Advent. It may seem strange to Catholics nowadays who are told that priests wear violet during Lent because it is a penitential color; however, many are surprised at having penances during Advent.
The reason for this confusion is hard to say…perhaps it is because Advent seems like a season of joyful preparation, not sorrow. But nonetheless, all feasts need a fast; for Easter that is Lent, and for Christmas that is Advent.
Quite interestingly, the longstanding custom of the Western Church was that the fast would begin not on the first Sunday of Advent, but nearly three weeks prior after the feast of the fourth-century bishop St. Martin of Tours, on November 11th.
This day was chosen because it was, 1) a very beloved feast amongst the Catholic faithful, 2) is at the end of the harvest season, and 3) takes place just after the celebratory Octave of All Saints comes to a close. The feast of St. Martin, also known as Martinmas, was a great day of feasting and celebration, and following that the fast would ensue in which Catholics would prepare for Advent.
Let that sink in. Fasting used to be taken so seriously that Catholics would prepare for the main fast with more fasting in order to be adequately prepared for Christmas. The same is true of Easter which is preceded first by the fasting period of Lent; however, Lent is also preceded by a season of fasting, that being the period of Septuagesima, also known as Gesimatide, which are the three weeks that come before Ash Wednesday.
By the sixth century, the Church required fasting on all days, except for Saturday and Sunday, from the feast of St. Martin until Christmas. These common fasts existed many times during the year.
The East holds to the Dormition Fast beginning on August 1st and ending on the feast of the Assumption (or Dormition), they also follow the Apostles’ fast which takes place from the day following the Octave of Pentecost and ends on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul on June 29th. The West has also held the custom of St. Michael’s Lent which takes place from the end of the Octave of the Assumption on August 22nd (known now as the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) and ends on the feast of St. Michael on September 29th.
While it may be hard for someone to commit to something this rigorous at first, one may want to spend more time in recognition of the Church’s sacred time in the small penances we are able to offer.
These periods of feasting and fasting truly give a more holistic view of the Church’s yearly worship and also lend to a stronger community amongst Catholics who spend more time of the year together in prayer and fasting, and therefore also in feasting and rejoicing!
Born and Raised to Jewish parents in New York City, Kai Breskin is a recent convert to the Catholic Faith. A member of the Boston College class of 2026, he is studying Political Science, Philosophy, and History. His intellectual passions include Christian theology, history, and liturgical study. His hobbies include sailing, playing the piano, and singing, with a specific focus in Gregorian Chant.
- The Canonization of Saints - December 9, 2024
- Sancta Unctio Cæli: The Most Forgotten Sacrament - December 9, 2024
- Saint of the Issue: St. Nicholas - December 9, 2024