Get to know the origin of the tradition of changing the meat for fish on Friday

For many, Holy Friday is just another holiday on the calendar, a day to rest and enjoy time with the family. However, for Christians, especially Catholics, this date goes far beyond a simple day off: it is a day to remember the death of Jesus Christ, which, according to the Bible, sacrificed Himself for the salvation of humanity. During this phase of mourning, many faithful adopt practices such as fasting and replacing red meat with fish.

According to Father Miguel Lisboa Aguiar Marcondes, from the Parish of St. Anthony of Lisbon, the origin of this “exchange” of food on Holy Friday comes from the need for people to get closer to God: “It is an abstinence that people make control of what is inside them, this is called, so that people will come closer to God. He.”

Currently, is a product known to be expensive, especially at the time of. A survey of the retail and industry data company Scanntech revealed that by 2024 cod and other fish species were 36% and 15% more expensive, respectively. What is noteworthy, however, is that many years ago, fish was a more accessible alternative to families during Holy Week, and that the Church advised everyone to opt for it.

“Fish was a much more easier food than meat, in the time of mainly. The people who had red meat were wealthier, had more money. The meat quenches more, while the fish does not. So we eat the fish, choose the fish, because it is a lighter meat, so that we are not stuffed, but we come back closer, faster to the fast that was proposed on Friday. For what? To approach the passion of the Lord, ”says the priest.

Miguel also explains that the idea of ​​fasting is not to force Christians to consume fish, but rather set aside something they like. “Fasting doesn’t say ‘don’t eat the meat and change for the fish’. It would be very inconsistent for us to change the meat and choose a cod, for example. Because we know that the price of cod is a high thing, it is exacerbating. So, changing the meat for the fish is not the intention. The intention is to fast, the abstinence, and not eat. closer to your reality, like sardines. ”

The priest states that fasting and abstinence are made for people over 16 and up to 68, 70 years old. After that the fast is optional. According to him, people who have some comorbidity, such as diabetes, are dismissed from the mandatory fast from Friday to Saturday. He also gives other options to those who cannot fast, for personal or social reasons: “If I can’t work with it, fasting, abstinence, personal or other social reasons, I can do something else. I can replace it with prayer, friend shoulder, listening and charity.”

Finally, Miguel reminds Christians the true meaning of the Holy Friday and Easter. “It’s not a time of travel, it’s not a holiday time, it’s not a time of hanging from another holiday that comes on Monday, like the year 2025, but it is a time to revive our faith in the hope that God always save us, who sent His Son to our salvation.”