This page tells you whether Catholics may eat meat today, and whether today is a fast day. The answer is worked out from the date. Change the date or the country to check another day.
The rules at a glance
| Day | Meat | Fasting |
|---|---|---|
| Ash Wednesday | No | Yes |
| Fridays of Lent | No | No |
| Good Friday | No | Yes |
| Holy Saturday | Allowed | Recommended until the Easter Vigil |
| Sundays of Lent | Allowed | No |
| Other days of Lent | Allowed | No |
| Fridays outside Lent, United States | Allowed; some penance is asked | No |
| Fridays outside Lent, England and Wales | No | No |
These rules come from the Code of Canon Law (canons 1249 to 1253) and from the decisions of the bishops of each country.
Who has to keep the rules
- No meat (abstinence): every Catholic from the 14th birthday on. There is no upper age.
- Fasting: every adult Catholic from the 18th birthday until the 59th birthday.
- Excused: people who are sick, women who are pregnant or nursing, people with conditions such as diabetes, and anyone whose health or heavy work needs regular food. The law of penance is not meant to harm anyone. If you are unsure, ask your priest.
- Children under these ages are not bound, but parents are asked to teach them what penance means in a way that fits their age (canon 1252).
What counts as meat
- Not allowed: the flesh of land animals and birds, such as beef, pork, lamb, chicken and turkey.
- Allowed: fish and shellfish, eggs, milk, cheese and butter, and all plant foods.
- Soups, gravies and cooking fat: the U.S. bishops explain that broth, gravy and seasonings made from meat are not strictly forbidden. Many Catholics leave them out anyway, to keep the spirit of the day.
A day of abstinence is a day for a simple table. A costly seafood dinner keeps the letter of the rule and misses its point.
What fasting means
On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday those who fast eat one full meal. Two smaller meals are allowed, as long as the two together are less than a full meal. There is no eating between meals. Drinks do not break the fast.
Fridays outside Lent
Every Friday of the year is a day of penance, because Jesus died on a Friday (canon 1250). How it is kept depends on the country:
- United States. Since 1966 abstinence from meat binds only on Ash Wednesday, the Fridays of Lent and Good Friday. On other Fridays the bishops ask Catholics to do some penance freely, and they name abstinence from meat first.
- England and Wales. Since September 16, 2011, Catholics abstain from meat on every Friday of the year.
- Canada, Ireland, Australia and many other countries. Friday penance is required, but you may choose its form: giving up meat, giving up something else, extra prayer, or a work of charity.
When a solemnity falls on a Friday
Abstinence does not bind on a Friday that is a solemnity (canon 1251). Some examples:
- Friday, December 25, 2026: Christmas Day.
- Friday, March 19, 2027: the Solemnity of St. Joseph falls on a Friday of Lent, so meat is allowed that day.
- The Sacred Heart of Jesus is always on a Friday, nineteen days after Pentecost.
St. Patrick’s Day is not a solemnity in most dioceses. When March 17 falls on a Friday of Lent (the next time is 2028), many bishops give a dispensation for that day, so check with your own diocese.
Lent dates 2027 to 2030
| Year | Ash Wednesday | Good Friday | Easter Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | February 10 | March 26 | March 28 |
| 2028 | March 1 | April 14 | April 16 |
| 2029 | February 14 | March 30 | April 1 |
| 2030 | March 6 | April 19 | April 21 |
Frequently asked questions
Can Catholics eat chicken on Fridays in Lent?
No. Chicken is meat, like beef and pork. Fish, eggs and milk foods are allowed.
Why is fish allowed and meat not?
Meat was the food of feasts, and giving it up is a small share in the sacrifice of Christ on Good Friday. Fish was the plain food of ordinary days, and the Church has never counted it as meat.
What if I ate meat by mistake?
A sin needs knowledge and a free choice. If you simply forgot, you did nothing wrong. Keep the rest of the day, and offer another small act of penance if you wish.
Do the Sundays of Lent count?
Sundays are never days of fasting or abstinence. Whether you keep your own Lenten sacrifice on Sundays is up to you.
Can Catholics eat meat on Fridays in the United States outside Lent?
Yes. The rule about meat binds only in Lent. Friday is still a day of penance all year, and the bishops recommend abstaining from meat as the first way to keep it.
Is it a sin to eat meat on a Friday of Lent?
The Church asks this penance seriously. To ignore it knowingly and without a reason is a sin; a single slip is not treated like setting the whole practice aside. If it weighs on you, bring it to confession.
Sources
- Code of Canon Law, canons 1249–1253 (days of penance, fasting and abstinence).
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence (1966) and its questions and answers on the Lenten fast.
- Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, resolution on Friday penance (2011).