River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-07-03
CURIoSITIEs Of FASTING.
Strange Customs That Prevail Have
Prevailed in Lent.


In the early Christian church wine
was as much forbidden az meat 20 those
who were fasting. Very terrible must
have been the ancient days of Holy
Week that were classed under the
euphOniOus title of Xerophagy. when
the only food allowed was bread and
salt, 70 which, in certain localities, only
vegetables were added. The rules con-
corning Lent varied greatly in different
localities for several centuries A
writer in the fifth century mentions
that in certain places it lasted only
three weeks. in others six, and in some
as much as seven. Then there were
countries in which the Lenten fast was
kept on every day of the week. Sunday
was omitted in others, and elsewhere
there was no fasting on either that day
or Saturday The Cistercians. who did
SO much in the Middle Ages for agricult-
ure in this country, used to fast from
the I4th of September until Easter, eat
ing neither meat. fish nor eggs.
To this day in the Roman Catholic
church the fast days vary greatly in
different countries and even dioceses,
ends on the same days throughout the
world, there is considerable difference
in the rules for keeping it in certain
localities. Then with regard to Advent
there is some diversity. In the fifth
century it was kept as a general fast OF
forty days, from November IL till
Christmas. This custom has so died out
that, although in England and Ireland
Roman Catholics are made TO fast on
the Wednesdays and Fridays in Advent,
there is no such rule on the continent,
except in religious houses, and only in
some of those. A curious custom pre-
walls in France OF allowing a certain
waterfowl that feeds chiefly on fish to
be eaten on days of the year on which
other flesh meat is forbidden. We
think, however, that many people who
have once tasted this particular deli
cacy will not be likely TO avail them
selves of the privilege a second time.
The most interesting exceptional rule
connected with abstinence is one that
exists in Spain. 1t seems that at the
time Of the Crusades all who con-
tributed fixed annual sum were dis
pensed from certain days of abstinence
by Papal Bull. and this dispensation
has never been withdrawn. As the fee
required has now become mere trifie
through the deterioration in the value of
the money (abOut a couple of shillings),
the dispensatiOn has fallen within the
reach of most people, and the funds
thus accumulated are devoted to chart
table purposes.
II is interesting to remember that
when the rules about fasting were far
stricter among Roman Catholics in En-
gland than they are now, such a thing
as eating flesh during Lent was I'M
heard of, and the fast days at other
times being then much more numerous
than at present il was very difficult for
those living inland to get any fresh fish
caught in the sea; and that the potato,
20 say nothing of certain other vegeta-
bles, had not yet been introduced into
this country. Tea and coffee were I'M
known. as also were tobacco and many
other little luxuries which tend to make
day of fasting or abstinence far from
intOlerable in modern times Nor
should il be forgotten that eggs were
not allowed on fast DAYS in the middle
ages. Cheese, milk and butter were
long forbidden. The permission TO eat
meat at the ''one meal" on every day in
Lent excepting Wednesdays and Fri
days and the last four days of Holy
week is very modern indeed: nor is it
universal. Another modern innovation
is the liberation of the custom of TAX
inc "A little tea ar Coffee with a few
mouthfuls. which are not to count at all,
at breakfast time. as well as the half
meal. which. with certain restrictions,
is allowed under the title of collation.
later on in the day.-Pall Mall Gazette.