Breaking the fast
As a fast-breaking ending a one-day or longer is fasting referred. The term is used in both religious and non-religious or therapeutic fasting . The English term breakfast for breakfast has the same origin, because the first meal of the day breaks the 'fasting period' during the night. The same applies to the French déjeuner (breakfast / breakfast) or the Spanish desayunar (breakfast) or desayuno (breakfast), which etymologically from 'ayunar' or 'jeûner' (to fast ) or from the Latin 'ieiunāre' (jejunare) ) based.
It is considered health beneficial to carefully accustom the body to food after fasting for several days.
A banana is recommended for breaking the fast ; some people choose a raw or a cooked apple .
Depending on the duration and severity of the fast, the diet should be built up over a period of several days up to the normal diet. A rule of thumb recommends strict fasting for one to two additional days of light food every week .
In a religious context, breaking the fast is often associated with a common celebration or a special meal.
Christianity
On Maundy Thursday or Holy Saturday , Catholics in some countries, as in the few Orthodox churches, celebrate a service in which food is blessed that the faithful have brought in baskets. These blessed foods are then eaten with the family for breakfast on Easter Sunday (cf. Święconka ).
Also on Maundy Thursday there is a custom in some places in Catholic churches to hold an agape (friendship meal ) after the celebration of the Last Supper . Often unleavened bread (such as matzo, oriental flatbread or milk bread) is consumed and wine or grape juice is drunk. The breads are traditionally shared with each other to remind of the gesture of breaking bread. In such agapes, the giving love of Jesus Christ should be symbolically experienced and also reminded of the Jewish Passover meal that Jesus and his disciples celebrated according to biblical tradition.
In the tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Greece , a soup made from lamb innards, egg and lemon , the so-called magiritsa, is common at the end of Lent . This is eaten on Easter vigil, the lamb itself is not eaten until the evening of Easter Sunday so as not to overload the stomach . The rather light Magiritsa carefully prepares the organism for eating meat and fat . The Christian adoption of ancient Jewish traditions, such as the Passover festival , should be remembered here.
In addition to the Protestant Church, evangelical and charismatic circles in particular have recently rediscovered fasting. In the course of this new discovery of fasting, spontaneous religious groups or church groups organized by parishes are often formed to support one another in fasting, which then break the fast together - for example with tea , bread and cream cheese , or with a simple vegetable meal.
Islam
In Islam breaking the fast is the evening ending of a fast day during Ramadan with evening prayer at nightfall. Traditionally, a date is eaten first or water / milk is drunk. Since dinner is usually usual at this time, all shops and restaurants in Islamic countries are closed at this time, but are usually reopened afterwards. The Id Al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan ends the fast completely.
