Fish & Chips
The nine-year-old King of England made it a law to eat fish on Fridays.
Key words
- Abstain: to not do something, especially something enjoyable that you think might be bad
Some people abstain from eating meat for health reasons.
- Lent: in the Christian religion, the 40 days before Easter, a period during which, for religious reasons, some people stop doing particular things that they enjoy
The children have promised to give up sweets for Lent.
- Mandate: to order someone to do something
Our delegates have been mandated to vote against the proposal at the conference.
- Wean off: to make someone gradually stop using something that is bad for them
It's difficult to wean addicts off cigarettes once they're hooked.
- Humble: not proud or not believing that you are important
He's very humble about his success.
Read the article to find the answers
- When did the first Fish & Chip shop open in England?
- When do restaurants offer Fish and Chips as a special?
- When was Lent mandated?
- What does the Bible say about lengthy public fasting?
Fish & Chips
Often regarded as Britain's national dish, takeaway fish and chips includes a deep-fried, battered fillet of cod or haddock and chips seasoned with salt and vinegar. In a pub, a slice of lemon is also served with either garden peas or mushy peas as a side dish. Popular sauces include ketchup, curry and tartar.
Fish and chip shops first appeared in the UK in the 1860's when the first "chippy" opened in East London. At their peak there were over 35,000 shops, but today there are fewer than 10,000.
Fish Friday
The tradition of giving up meat and eating fish on Fridays was seen as a form of worship. The nine-year-old King of England even made it a law in 1547! While the religious significance has faded, the tradition of 'Fish Friday' remains popular, with restaurants often serving fish and chips as a special on Fridays. Although the law no longer exists, some Christians still abstain from eating meat on Fridays during the 40 days before Easter.
Lent
The Catholic Church officially mandated Lent in 360 AD. According to the Catholic Encyclopaedia:
The purpose of Lent is to provide purification by weaning men off sin and selfishness.
The day before Lent is known in French as Mardi Gras and in Latin as Carnival, which means 'goodbye to meat'. While the tradition of celebrating the start of Lent with a wild party is popular in other parts of the world, in England people prefer to eat pancakes.
Pancake Day is followed by 40 days of fasting, starting with Ash Wednesday, which takes its name from the practice of placing ashes on the forehead. You won't find this in the Bible, but it was part of the Norse religion. Ashes were placed on the forehead to ensure Odin's protection on the day named after him - Wodin's Day - what we now call Wednesday.
On the topic of lengthy public fasting the Bible says:
These practices may seem to be wise as part of a made-up religion in which people pretend to be humble and punish their bodies. But they don’t help people stop doing the evil that they want to do.
Discussion questions
- Do you have any questions about any of the vocabulary or grammar in this article?
- How popular is fish in your country?
- Has any food ever been made illegal in your country?
- What is your national dish?
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