<p><p>This podcast is listener-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></p><p>In this episode of <em>Food for Thought</em>, I explore the long, often-forgotten history of abstaining from meat during Advent and other Christian fasting periods, and how that tradition actually aligns beautifully with a modern vegan lifestyle.</p><p>Drawing from my own Catholic upbringing, I look at how rites and rituals like Lent and Advent once emphasized simplicity, self-restraint, and giving up animal products, and how language, church rules, and holiday foods still carry traces of that history.</p><p>I also invite listeners—religious or not—to consider their own version of conscious “fasting,” and I touch on traditional Advent/Christmas foods like Stollen that grew out of these practices.</p><p><strong>Here’s the video version of the introduction to the re-broadcast:</strong></p><p><strong>In this episode, you’ll learn:</strong></p><p>* Historically, Christians spent more days not eating meat (and often other animal products) than eating it, especially around Lent and Advent.</p><p>* The idea that being vegan is “incompatible” with culture or religion is new; religious abstinence from animal products is centuries old.</p><p>* Words like “Carnival” (from <em>carne levare</em> – “remove meat”) and traditions like Meatfare/Cheesefare Sundays reflect this meatless history.</p><p>* Advent used to be a serious season of fasting and abstinence, not just a time of treats, shopping, and countdown calendars.</p><p>* Different Christian traditions (especially Eastern and Ethiopian Orthodox) still practice very strict, essentially vegan fasts for many days of the year.</p><p>* Over time, church rules relaxed, and meat-eating became normalized and constant, while fasting became optional or symbolic.</p><p>* You don’t have to be religious to embrace the spirit of fasting: you can choose to simplify your diet, give something up (like alcohol, sugar, eating out, or processed foods), and let the feast feel more meaningful at the end.</p><p>* Many beloved holiday foods—like Stollen, fruitcake, and other Advent breads and sweets—arose from these traditions of fasting, scarcity, and then feasting.</p><p>* Part 2 will dive into Christmas feasting and traditional foods tied to the 12 Days of Christmas and Twelfth Night.</p><p><strong>Support the Podcast</strong></p><p>To keep Food for Thought Podcast ad-free and accessible to all, I rely on the support of <strong>paid subscribers</strong>. If you’re already one—thank you. If you’re not, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/subscribe"><strong>please consider becoming one</strong></a>. None of the companies below sponsored this episode. They’re simply brands I personally use, love, and trust—which is why I agreed to be an affiliate.</p><p><p>If you find this episode helpful, please consider giving it a like, share, comment, or restack. Remember Food for Thought is a listener-supported podcast, and your support as a paid subscriber helps me continue creating content that inspires compassion and action—for animals, people, and the planet.</p></p><p>If you make a purchase using the links below, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you—and <strong>you’ll receive exclusive discounts</strong> using the codes provided!</p><p>* <strong>Complement Supplements</strong>Everything you need, nothing you don’t. 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