Easter

Easter celebrates spring and the resurrection of Christ. It also ends Lent, the forty-day penitential period beginning on Ash Wednesday that, until the mid-twentieth century, greatly influenced the diet of Catholics worldwide. Beginning in the seventh century, Catholics were expected to abstain from eating all animals and animal products during Lent, except on Sundays. Over time, the Roman Catholic Church relaxed these strictures to permit eating fish (ninth century) and dairy products (fifteenth century), although meat and poultry remained forbidden. In 1966 all fasting obligations were removed except for those related to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The Eastern Orthodox Church continues Lenten fasts. Protestants traditionally do not fast, but there is a growing movement among some American Protestants, as well as Catholics, to relinquish a favored treat, frequently chocolate, caffeine, or pastry.