Why do we fast on Wednesdays and Fridays?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

We fast on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year as an ancient apostolic tradition rooted in the events of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1. The Theological and Historical Reasons

• Wednesday: We fast on Wednesday to commemorate the conspiracy against our Lord Jesus Christ and His betrayal by Judas Iscariot. On this day, the chief priests, scribes, and Jewish elders assembled at the palace of Caiaphas to plot how they might take Jesus by stealth and kill Him (Matthew 26:3–5), and Judas agreed to betray Him for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14–16). By fasting, we remember the grief of this betrayal and examine our own faithfulness to Christ, ensuring we do not betray Him through our sins.

• Friday: We fast on Friday to commemorate the Holy Passion, Crucifixion, and death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Wood of the Cross for the salvation of the world. On this day, our Savior bore the punishment of our transgressions, was mocked, scourged, and crucified at Golgotha, shedding His precious Blood to redeem humanity. Fasting on Friday is an act of solemn thanksgiving, repentance, and participation in the sufferings of Christ.

2. Apostolic Antiquity

Fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays is not a recent innovation; it dates directly back to the Apostolic age.

• *The Didache (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, c. late 1st century)* explicitly commands:

"Let not your fasts be with the hypocrites, for they fast on the second and fifth days of the week [Mondays and Thursdays]; but keep your fast on the fourth day [Wednesday] and on the Preparation day [Friday]." (Didache 8:1)

• The early Church Fathers and the ancient Canons of the Apostles (Canon 69) reaffirmed that any Christian who fails to fast on Wednesday and Friday, unless prevented by bodily weakness, stands outside the discipline of the Church.

3. Rules and Exceptions in Church Tradition

• Strictness: Wednesday and Friday are observed with strict abstinence—traditionally abstaining from all food and drink until the ninth hour (or after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy), followed by eating strict vegan food. Fish is strictly forbidden on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the entire year, even during fasts where fish is otherwise permitted (such as the Nativity Fast or the Apostles' Fast).
• The Holy Fifty Days (Pentecost): Fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays is suspended during the fifty days between the Feast of the Resurrection and the Feast of Pentecost. This period is lived as one continuous, unbroken feast commemorating Christ’s victory over death, during which fasting is inappropriate.
• Lordly Feasts: If a Major or Minor Lordly Feast falls on a Wednesday or Friday, the fast of abstinence is broken, and the day is celebrated in liturgical joy.