Fasting and abstinence in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
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Fasting and abstinence (Ge'ez: ጾም ṣōm; Amharic and Tigrinya: tsom) have historically constituted a major element of the practice of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, following the counsel of Saint Paul (Ge'ez: ቅዱስ ጳውሎስ; k’idus p’awilos) to "chastise the body and bring it under subjection" per 1 Corinthians 9:27. It is generally agreed, and asserted by the Church itself, that the fasting regime of the Ethiopian Church is the strictest of any Church, with 180 mandatory fasting days for laypeople and up to 252 days for clergy and the particularly observant.[1] The general list of fasts are laid out in the Fetha Negest.
Foods
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During fasts, the observant are required to partake in no more than one meal a day, which is to be eaten in the afternoon or evening. Fasting involves abstention from animal products (meat, dairy, and eggs), and refraining from eating or drinking before 3:00 pm.[2] Ethiopian devotees may also abstain from sexual activity and the consumption of alcohol.[2]
As the fasting regimen prohibits the consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs, Ethiopian cuisine contains many dishes that can be considered vegan.[3] Legumes such as split peas (ክክ,[4] kək or kikki) and lentils (ምስር,[5] məsər or birsin); or vegetables such as potatoes (ድንች,[6] Dənəch), carrots and chard (ቆስጣ) are common in fasting dishes. Shiro wat (Amharic: ሽሮ ወጥ), made from ground chickpeas, is also particularly popular as a fasting food.
As international cuisines have grown in popularity among the Ethiopian middle class, fasting variants have also developed to meet the needs of the observant population—among which include fasting pizza, fasting pasta, fasting pastries, and fasting (meatless) burgers.[7] Another example of Western influence is the popularity of fish goulash (Amharic: አሣ ጉላሽ; asa gulaš), often made with local Nile perch, tilapia, or catfish.[8]
Observance
Observance of the fasting periods have fluctuated with time. Today, religious groups like Mahibere Kidusan encourage the faithful to rigorously observe both obligatory and optional fasting periods.[9] As a result, strict observance of fasts is said to be growing in certain Orthodox communities.[10]
