[Sca-cooks] European Fast Days?

[johnna holloway]

It varies but about half the days is the usual estimate.
See: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05789c.htm
http://lilt.ilstu.edu/rtdirks/FAST.html

 from http://93.1911encyclopedia.org/F/FA/FASTING.htm
one finds the following:

Besides fasts of an occasional and extraordinary nature, the following
are recognized as
   of stated and universal obligation;—(x) The Wednesday and Friday
fasts throughout the
     year (with the exception of the period between Christmas and
Epiphany, the Easter
    week, the week after Whitsunclay, the third week after Epiphany) (2)
The great yearly
    fasts, viz. that of Lent, lasting 48 days, from the Monday of
Sexagesima to Easter eve;
     that of Advent, 39 days, from November 15 to Christmas eve; that of
the Theotokos
   (eoareta rijs eeoro~ov), from August I to August 15; that of the Holy
Apostles, lasting a
   variable number of days from the Monday after Trinity; (3) The minor
yearly fasts before
   Epiphany, before Whitsunday, before the feasts of the
transfiguration, the invention of the
    cross, the beheading of John the Baptist. During even the least
rigid of these the use of
    flesh and lacticinia is strictly forbidden; fish, oil and wine are
occasionally conceded, but
     not before two o’clock in the afternoon. The practice of the Coptic
church is almost
   identical with this. A week before the Great Fast (Lent), a fast of
three days is observed
   in commemoration of that of the Ninevites, mentioned in the book of
Jonah. Some of the
   Copts are said to observe it by total abstinence during the whole’
period. The Great Fast
    continues fifty-five days; nothing is eaten except bread and
vegetables, and that only in
       the afternoon, when church prayers are over. The Fast of the
Nativity lasts for
    twenty-eight days before Christmas; that of the Apostles for a
variable number of days
      from the Feast of the Ascension; and that of the Virgin for
fifteen days before the
    Assumption. All Wednesdays and Fridays ai’e also fast days except
those that occur in
    the period between Easter and Whitsunday.

Johnnae llyn Lewis  Johnna Holloway

lilinah at earthlink.net wrote:
> but i'm not sure how many fast days were there in a
> typical year (if there is such a thing) in the Middle Ages /
> Renaissance? I realize things might vary by region, i just want a
> ballpark figure.>
> Anyone have a good estimate?
> > Anahita