As of: March 29, 2024, 8:54 a.m
By: Fabian Hartmann
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Good Friday is the culmination of the Christian Lenten tradition. There is a special food tradition for believers here. But where does it come from and what does it entail?
Munich – Easter is the highest festival in the Christian calendar year. But before the Easter fires burn on Saturday evening and the resurrection of Jesus is celebrated on Easter Sunday, Good Friday is a day full of devotion.
On this day, Jesus was confronted with the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, sentenced to death and nailed to the cross on Calvary Hill. Crucifixions as a form of execution were very common in ancient times and corresponded to Roman law. According to the Gospels, other condemned people also died the same death as Jesus.
Good Friday is considered the strictest of the silent holidays. And protection from noise is even regulated by law in Germany on this holiday: Not only do shops remain closed, but major sporting events will not take place either. There is also a ban on dancing throughout Germany, which the federal states themselves set. But special principles also traditionally apply when it comes to eating on Good Friday. We'll show you exactly what these are here.
Fish on Good Friday – why does this custom exist in Christian tradition?
In Christianity, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Saturday - after a total of 46 days of fasting. Catholics should not eat meat during Lent from Ash Wednesday to Easter Saturday and on all Fridays. In addition, they are only allowed one main meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. It is intended to symbolize a consciously experienced, noticeable renunciation in memory of Jesus Christ as well as the willingness to relive his suffering and at the same time to repent.
On Good Friday, Christian believers don't eat meat - they eat fish. Apart from Christmas and New Year's Eve, no other time of the year in Germany buys as much fresh fish as at Easter, especially on Good Friday, as the manufacturer Deutsche See GmbH explains on its website. In general, the fish has significance in Christian symbolism: the disciples of Jesus Christ considered it a secret symbol for recognition - because this was the only way they could remain unrecognized by the Romans, who believed in several gods and forbade Christians to believe.
The German Bishops' Conference points out that Catholic Christians between the ages of 18 and 59 can take a normal "fortification" on the day of abstinence and eat a small meal twice to strengthen themselves. Meat should be avoided completely on Good Friday. However, there are exceptions for the sick, travelers and all those who are prevented from abstinence by other circumstances.
On Good Friday: Fish instead of meat - which fish is particularly popular on Good Friday?
According to the website DeutscheSee.de, in some countries around the world there are even very specific fish dishes that are served on Good Friday. For example, “pickled fish” (cod, prepared similarly to fried herring) in Cape Town, “Chupe de Viernes Santo” (a soup made from fish, seafood, potatoes and vegetables) in Peru or “Bacalhau” (cod) in Brazil.
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And which fish are particularly popular in this country on Good Friday? Heiko Dageförde, manufacturing manager at Deutsche See GmbH in Bremerhaven, knows this: “As a rule, salmon (1st place), pollock (2nd place), redfish (3rd place), cod (4th place) or trout (5th place) are served on the table .”
Fresh cod at the Ajaccio fish market (Corsica) © IMAGO/KH
At home there tend to be more classic types of fish, and not much has changed in the last few years. “Even when visiting a restaurant, Germans prefer salmon,” explains Dageförde. Trout (2nd place) and cod (3rd place) are also popular. According to Dageförde, when visiting a restaurant, some also opt for fine fish specialties such as monkfish (4th place) and turbot (5th place).
Fish is not only recommended on Good Friday - but what makes it so healthy?
Eating fish is not only recommended on Good Friday, but in general. This is also the advice of the German Nutrition Society (DGE), which in its current nutritional recommendations calls for people to reduce meat consumption and eat fish “once or twice a week”. Because so-called fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel or herring not only provide valuable omega-3 fatty acids. Fish is generally rich in protein, and sea fish such as cod or redfish also contain iodine.
The following table shows what nutritional values well-known types of fish contain.
Type of fish |
Calories |
Protein (in g) |
Fat (in g) |
Polyunsaturated fatty acids |
Salmon |
200 |
19.9 |
13.4 |
2.5 |
coalfish |
80 |
19.3 |
0.3 |
0.1 |
Trout |
130\t |
16.0 |
7 |
2.5 |
pike |
85 |
18.4 |
0.9 |
0.2 |
Halibut |
120 |
20.6 |
3.9 |
1.2 |
Fish also contains important nutrients such as high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals. Above all, the polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital and important for health, especially EPA and DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid). Hardly any other food can offer these unsaturated fatty acids in such quantities as various types of fish can. In addition to heart and brain health, these fatty acids also have a particularly positive effect on the immune system.
(fh)