The Renaissance of Fasting—Evidence from a Religious Location in Europe

Considered as one of the most religious countries in Europe, Romania draws attention due to a large number of rules and prohibitions in fasting periods in terms of consumption and social behaviour. The study begins with a brief phenomenology of fasting, eventually focusing on Lent, the longest and harshest period of fasting for Romanian Orthodox Christians. The month of March is the only month of the year that usually falls entirely within the fasting period, permitting our analysis of the consumption of animal products and alcohol, products which are to be abstained from. We develop the hypothesis that the growing availability of food over time in Romania is leading to an increasing willingness to fast. Although we find clear evidence of fasting during Lent, the time trend of non-consumption is non-linear but identical for alcohol, animal products and meat. The analysis also shows affluent food supplies in the time after fasting as making fasting more attractive. The qualitative part of the study uses objective hermeneutics to illustrate and complement the statistical analysis. We conclude that the willingness to fast only emerges with a time lag after the availability of food increases, because the experience of oversupply is also an essential ingredient for making fasting an attractive option.