February 10, 2015 — Lent, the annual 40-day period of fasting and penitence observed by many Christians as they prepare for Easter, begins Wednesday, Feb. 18 — more commonly known as Ash Wednesday. This fasting and penitence — sacrificing to show sorrow and regret — for some of the faithful involves not eating meat on Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays in Lent.
So, what does a person do to get that needed protein into his or her body during Lent?
For hundreds of years, the answer has been fish and seafood. According to a story by National Public Radio, Christians (mostly Roman Catholics) are supposed to refrain from eating warm-blooded creatures on Friday because Jesus Christ died on a Friday to redeem the sins of the world. The story states some have written that this practice began as early as the first century.
Unfortunately for fish, they are cold-blooded and fair game to feast on during Lent.
While it’s true people eat fish all year, restaurants and fish stores say this is the mad season when it comes to our finned, scaly friends.
“We go through three to four times more haddock on a Friday in Lent than on a normal Friday,” said Robert Caulkins, seafood manager of the Price Chopper on Arsenal Street, Watertown. “On a normal Friday, we go through from 20 to 30 pounds.”
The same is true at Jean’s Beans on Eastern Boulevard.
“Probably double the amount of fish from a regular Friday,” said Jane Bowman, Jean’s Beans owner. “We sell about 400 to 500 pounds of fish just on a Friday in Lent.”
Mr. Caulkins said he studies previous years’ fish and seafood sales during Lent to know about how much to order. He said he has never run out of haddock on a Lenten Friday.
“We try not to run out. That could cause a problem,” he said.
Read the full story from the Watertown Daily Times