Fast Day

Fast Day

[

thumb|right|Massachusetts_Governor_Jonathan Belcher's February 26, 1735 (NS 1736) proclamation of a fast day for April 1.] A Fast Day is a day of religious fasting observed at various periods by different religious groups, Jewish, Christian, and other, sometimes with the authority of government.

In American history it is an obsolete holiday, "A day of public fasting and prayer", which was traditionally observed in the New England states. It had its origin in days of prayer and repentance proclaimed in the early days of the American colonies by Royal Governors, often before the spring planting (cf., Rogation Days). It was observed by church attendance, fasting and abstinence from secular activities. The first fast day was proclaimed in Boston on September 8 1670.

Fast day had lost its significance as a religious holiday by the late 19th century. It was abolished by Massachusetts in 1894 (being replaced with Patriots' Day) and shortly thereafter by Maine, which also adopted Patriots' Day. It continued in New Hampshire until 1991, signifying only the opening of the summer tourist season; the April holiday was dropped and replaced with the January Civil Rights Day, and then, in 1999, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. [http://www.state.nh.us/nhinfo/fast.html]

External links

Examples of religious Fast Days

* [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2036:6;&version=8; Baruch's public reading of Jeremiah's prophecies "upon the fast-day"] (Jeremiah 36:6, American Standard Version ).
* [http://www.backfreechurch.co.uk/Gazette/until_he_come.htm The Thursday of a present-day Scottish "communion season" still referred to as the "fast day"] (though little actual fasting may be done)
* [http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0154.htm A "Fast-Day Service" held in 1857 in London] apparently to mark a national fast.

Links relating to New England history

* [http://www.state.nh.us/nhinfo/fast.html NH state page describing "Rise and Fall of Fast Day"]
* [http://www.osv.org/education/OSVisitor/Feasts.html The Feasts and Fasts of Spring]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Fast day — Fast Fast, n. [OE. faste, fast; cf. AS. f[ae]sten, OHG. fasta, G. faste. See {Fast}, v. i.] 1. Abstinence from food; omission to take nourishment. [1913 Webster] Surfeit is the father of much fast. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. Voluntary abstinence… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fast-day — fastˈ day noun 1. A day of religious fasting 2. A day for humiliation and prayer, esp before communion • • • Main Entry: ↑fast …   Useful english dictionary

  • fast day — fast .day n a day when you do not eat any food, especially for religious reasons …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • fast day — fast′ day n. a day on which fasting is observed • Etymology: 1300–50 …   From formal English to slang

  • fast day — n. a religious holy day, etc. observed by fasting …   English World dictionary

  • fast day — noun a day designated for fasting • Hypernyms: ↑religious holiday, ↑holy day • Hyponyms: ↑major fast day, ↑minor fast day * * * noun Etymology: Middle English faste day, from …   Useful english dictionary

  • fast-day — n. Fast, day of fasting, banyan day …   New dictionary of synonyms

  • fast day — /ˈfast deɪ/ (say fahst day) noun a day on which fasting is observed, especially such a day appointed by some ecclesiastical or civil authority …  

  • fast day — a day on which fasting is observed, esp. such a day appointed by some ecclesiastical or civil authority. [1300 50; ME] * * * …   Universalium

  • fast day — noun (C) a day when you do not eat any food, especially for religious reasons …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”