That Was Fast Trivia Quiz

Answer: Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av

Traditionally observant Jews strictly avoid all food and drink, including water on Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av, the major fast days, going so far as to refrain from brushing their teeth or taking non-essential medicine.

Except for Yom Kippur, the biblical requirement of keeping Shabbat (the Sabbath) overrules any fast days.

Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement and Tisha B'Av (9th of Av) marks the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, which occurred on the same day of the year 656 years apart.

Answer: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday

In 1966, Pope Paul VI issued the "Paenitemini", the Apostolic Constitution On Penance, which radically changed the Catholic fasting requirements. Following the "Paenitemini", the US bishops decreed that Ash Wednesday and Good Friday were the days when US Catholics were obligated to fast.

Pope Paul VI recommended that fasting and abstinence be voluntary, appropriate to the local economic situation, and replaced with prayer and charitable works on minor fast days.

Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent, and Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus.

Answer: one full meal, two smaller meals, and any drink, including alcohol

The two smaller meals taking during a fast day are called "collations", and no solid food is to be taken in between meals. Fast days are usually also days of abstinence, so meat must be avoided (except for fish).

Some Catholics take a stricter stance on their own personal fasts, but official Canon Law is fairly lenient, especially compared to the requirements in other religions.

While all the answers to this question meet or exceed the requirements of Canon Law, the correct answer is the "most" allowed by Canon Law.

Answer: Ramadan

The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar approximately 11-12 days shorter than the solar calendar, and there is no mechanism to align it with the solar calendar. As a result, Ramadan does not occur at the same season / time each year according to the Gregorian calendar. The daylight hours fast of Ramadan is therefore longer in the long days of summer, or shorter during the shorter days of winter.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is the month when the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

Answer: The Nineteen-Day Fast

The Bahá'í calendar has 19 months of 19 days each, with 4 or 5 additional days to line up with the solar calendar. Years are counted from March 21, 1844, which is when the calendar started and the Bahá'í Era, or BE, began.

'Ala is the last month of the year, and occurs from March 2 to March 20.

Answer: No

Buddhists consider fasting as a deviation from the Middle Path or Middle Way, which avoids extremes.

Most Buddhist monks and nuns do not eat after lunch (the noon meal). This is not technically a fast, but a way to remain disciplined and focused.

Answer: the first Sunday

On "Fast Sunday", two consecutive meals are skipped. The money that would have been spent on food is donated to the church as an offering.

Fasting is also encouraged at any time for penance, prayer, or for other reasons.

Answer: Yes

Fasting is an important part of the Hindu religion, and individuals observe fasts based on local customs and personal beliefs. Various days of the month or week can be observed as fast days, as well as some religious festivals or lunar events.

Although Hindus from different regions will keep different fasts, most will fast on "Maha Shivratri", the Great Night of Shiva, which is the 13th night of the waning moon in the month of Maagha, which Lord Shiva declared was his favorite day.

Answer: the day of Theophany

Theophany, or Epiphany, is the day that the magi (aka the Wise Men, or the Three Kings) visited the baby Jesus. It occurs on January 6, though some Eastern Churches follow the Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar, so the day corresponds to January 19.

The numerous fast periods can last for multiple days, during which time minimal meals can be taken, avoiding animal products, dairy, oil, and wine.

Answer: No

Sikhs do not believe that fasting results in any spiritual benefits.

One of the tenets of the Sikh religion is "truthful living"; Sikhs need to practice their beliefs in their words and deeds, not through rites such as fasting.