As a result of the Holy Week celebrations every year thousands of people around the world enjoy a holiday period in the month of April, however, beyond the days of vacation, the true meaning of this commemoration of the Catholic religion entails certain practices and traditions, including fasting and non-fasting. eat red meat.
It is important to remember that Holy Week is part of the phase of the liturgical cycle known as Lent, which includes 40 days in which the members of the Catholic Church and are spiritually preparing for the Easter holidays.
Each year, Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with Holy Week, a period in which believers of the Catholic religion commemorate on the occasion of the Passion of Christ, that is, the whole process that Jesus lived during his last days of life on Earth; since his arrival in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, his last dinner, the way of the cross, his crucifixion and finally his resurrection.
For believers of the Catholic religion, the 40 days of Lent is a time for reflection and penance, as well as for repenting of sins and remembering the sacrifice Christ made for humanity.
However, these traditions and celebrations also have their origin in the fast that Jesus did during the 40 days and nights he spent in the desert, according to the Gospel of Matthew.
Thus, during this period of the liturgical cycle some rites and customs are carried out, among which the same fasting and abstinence in the consumption of different types of meat stand out.
Although over the years rites and traditions have become consolidated in the Catholic religion, different versions have tried to explain them.
A first version points to the fact that, just as Jesus resisted the temptations of the devil in the desert, the faithful must fast and refrain from consuming any kind of meat in the footsteps of Christ.
It has also been explained that abstinence from meat consumption stems from the fact that this practice was a more accessible activity for people of a high socio-economic level, so it is a way for the rich to stand in solidarity and join the perpetual fast of the poor.
Another explanation given to this tradition is related to the belief that red-blooded animals were considered impure, while those from the sea did not have that characteristic.
It should be noted that these practices are not obligatory for believers, however, a href="https://www.infobae.com/mix5411/2021/12/20/ayuno-intermitente-si-o-no/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"bfasting and abstinence are sacrifices that are made to cleanse and repair the damage caused by sins, according to religion Catholic.
According to the Catholic religion, fasting and abstinence from red meat consumption are a form of sacrifice, however, this practice is not entirely closed since the faithful can choose how they approach this tradition.
That is, it could be that instead of refraining from eating red meat, they would not eat some food they are used to, that is to their preference, as a symbolic action of Lent and Holy Week.
Although the practice may be flexible in that regard, what is stipulated are the days on which it should be carried out, which are: Ash Wednesday, Good Friday commemorating Christ's Passion, and Glory Sabbath.
This 2022, Lent and Holy Week will end on Sunday, April 17 to begin with another period of the liturgical cycle: Easter.
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