[Sca-cooks] a Lenten question-

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Finne wrote:
>(but very much chance not for this, as the muslims also have a version
>of lent so it dates back to the jewish faith prolly.

Well, Jewish and Muslim fasts aren't much like Lent.

The Jews have two major fasts in their composite lunar-solar year. 
One, not usually called such, is Passover - in the Spring - that 
feast that Yeshua and his disciples were having before the Romans 
took him away. A "good" Jew follows the basic Kashrut food rules - 
not mixing meat and milk, no seafood without scales, no meat without 
cloven hooves, etc. At Passover, an additional stricture is added: no 
fermentable grains for a week - nothing yeasted, and no grains that 
could become fermented from natural yeasts. Not really much like 
Lent. There are some differences among the Ashkenazim (living in 
Eastern Europe), the Sephardim (originally from Spain, who then fled 
around the Mediterranean and to Holland in 1492), and the Mizrachim 
(who never left the Middle East) about what is allowed or forbidden - 
and among those who are more orthodox or more lenient. Then there's 
the strict intense fast of Yom Kippur when one does not eat anything 
during daylight. But that's only one day. There are a few other minor 
fasts.

Muslim dietary laws are similar to, but more lenient than Jewish 
dietary laws - and there are differences among the four major Sunni 
sects and between the Sunni and the Shi'a. I can post more details if 
anyone is interested. The Muslims have two fasts i know of. The Fast 
of Ramadan lasts the whole month of Ramadan (the 9th month of the 
purely lunar year) - kinda like Lent. But distinctly different from 
Lent, one eats nothing during daylight hours, but can gorge during 
the hours of darkness on any and all permitted foods. The other fast 
is Aashura, the New Year fast, the 10th day of Muharram, the first 
month of the year which lasts two days - fasting the 9th & 10th or 
the 10th & 11th - again, not eating during daylight, but enjoying 
food during darkness. I belive the Shi'a also have some fast days 
that the Sunni do not celebrate.

Note that the Muslim calendar is purely Lunar. That means that the 
month of Ramadan moves to different times of the solar year - 
sometimes it's in the summer, as it was when i lived in Indonesia, 
sometimes it's in winter, as it was when i visited Morocco. So 
there's no seasonal food thing attached to it.

Historically it may be true that some Muslim dietary laws and fasts 
are related to Jewish dietary laws and fasts, but many Jewish 
festivals are Levantine pagan in origin, so they could derive from 
some other traditions.

But the Christian Lent is rather unlike the other fasts i know of in 
Judaism and Islam.

Anahita