It's Easter, and the Sydney Fish Markets, hideous at most times of the year, are an absolute nightmare over Easter. Absolutely jam packed full of people buying up their fish for Good Friday. So my question to myself for today...why do people eat fish on Good Friday?
Well thankfully the rules of Roman Catholics have relaxed a little, whereas traditionally they were required to abstain from eating meat every Friday as penance and now only need to abstain during the Fridays of Lent. Fish wasn't considered a meat and therefore became the default meal by choice. Thomas Aquinas in the Middle Ages said that foods other than fish resulted in, I guess, a more healthier body which in turn put you at greater risk of doing something sinful. Therefore to not eat these foods, and just eat fish made you more pious and therefore reflective of the death of Christ and less prone to doing something that would stop you doing this. Also, according to the Bible, Jesus was said to have fed 5000 followers a meal of 7 loaves and 5 fish, which is also why other Christian faiths eat fish on Fridays.
Now I feel guilty about the butterflied leg of lamb I've got for tomorrow nights dinner!
Happy Easter y'all.
Sister - Did you check ... are you sure it's lamb ????
ReplyDelete