Why it is tradition to eat fish on Good Friday at Easter

As the long bank holiday weekend gets underway, many people will be tucking into fish and chips tonight - a common tradition over the Easter weekend.

While hot cross buns and chocolate eggs might be the foods we'd usually associate with this time of year, millions of people also opt to have fish for dinner on Good Friday as part of their Easter plans.

It's very common for people to avoid meat and serve up fish - often fish and chips - for tea on Good Friday and it's a tradition that has deeply religious roots.

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Christians refrain from eating meat as a mark of respect and remembrance for Jesus, who it is believed sacrificed himself on the cross on Good Friday.

The Marine Stewardship Council says: "On Good Friday, it's tradition to eat fish rather than meat. According to Christians, Jesus sacrificed his flesh on what is now known as Good Friday. This is why traditionally, people abstain from meaty flesh on Good Friday."

It adds: "Fish is viewed as a different kind of flesh, and so is favoured over meat on Good Friday. Additionally, fish shapes were used by Christians to identify each other, and it is believed that many followers of Jesus were fishermen."

It has also been said that because meat was seen as a delicacy in ancient cultures - with animals only being slaughtered for food if there was something to celebrate - it's not appropriate for Christians to eat meat on Good Friday.

Fish is not seen as a type of meat because the Church specifically refers to "land animals". So while meat was seen as celebratory and associated with feasts, fish was seen as an everyday food.

And it's not just on Good Friday that you might find