Why we eat fish on Good Friday at Easter

Like tucking into chocolate eggs, eating fish on Good Friday is an Easter tradition that millions of us follow. For centuries, Christians have abstained from eating meat on the holiday and opted for fish instead.

Good Friday, the Friday before Easter Sunday, marks the day Jesus Christ was crucified. Catholics observing Good Friday will generally not eat meat on the day.

In fact, many Christians, especially Catholics, won't eat meat on any Friday throughout the year - and the reason behind this tradition is very much a religious one, reports the Mirror.

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Christians believe that Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross on a Friday. From very early on, Christians marked his sacrifice each Friday and set aside the day to 'unite their sufferings'.

In ancient cultures, meat was seen as a delicacy and "the fattened calf" wasn't slaughtered unless there was something to celebrate. Fridays were seen as a day of penance so eating meat on a Friday to "celebrate" the death of Jesus didn't sit well with the Church.

Fish is traditionally eaten because it is not seen as meat, and that's because the Church law specifically said "land animals". The distinction is mostly down to the Latin where the word used for meat is carnis, which means 'animal flesh'.

In addition, while meat is seen as celebratory and associated with feasts, fish is seen as an everyday food. Many people in ancient times worked as fishermen.

The reason it may seem strange today is the cultural change in how we see meat, which has now become more of an everyday meal choice. It's why people are often confused, as fish is now seen as more of a luxury.

The Catholic law of abstinence says