This year, due to a calendar alignment, Christian and Muslim fasting periods will overlap during the lunar month of Ramadan, which runs from March 1 to March 29. Their fasts begin just two days apart: Saturday, March 1 for Muslims and Monday, March 3 for Eastern Christians. For Latin Catholics, Lent starts two days later, on Wednesday, March 5, known as Ash Wednesday. As in Eastern Catholic Churches, the season of penance and self-discipline begins with the priest marking a cross of wet ashes on the forehead, saying, "Remember, man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." However, this ritual is not observed in Byzantine tradition churches.
As Muslims will have fulfilled the goal of their ascetic pilgrimage with the celebration of Eid al-Adha, Christians will continue their fast until Sunday, April 20, when they will also rest from their observance and celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.
Outwardly, the fasting rituals of Muslims and Christians are notably different. Muslims, in practice, observe a complete fast, refraining from eating or drinking from sunrise until sunset. They break their fast with a substantial meal, known as iftar, followed by a lighter meal, suhoor, just before dawn.
The Aroma of Coffee at Noontime
In Eastern Christian tradition, Lent lasts for 40 days, but this does not equate to 40 days of fasting. The 40 days represent a liturgical period that mirrors Christ's fast. Holy Week is not included in these 40 days. Essentially, Lent is a time when believers abstain from meat, rich foods, smoking, drinking, and physical intimacy. The period alternates between total fasting and periods of abstinence.
Maronites, for instance, fast from midnight to noon, except on Saturdays and Sundays, with permission to drink water if necessary. While this may seem manageable, these rules were established in a time when people would rise before dawn to work in the fields. The daily fast is typically broken around noon with a cup of coffee, whether at home or at work. On major feast days, such as the Annunciation (March 25), Maronites are exempt from fasting. For Orthodox Christians, fasting rules are generally stricter, with abstinence required throughout the entire 40-day period.
There are no reliable statistics on fasting practices across the various communities in Lebanon, but it is commonly said that Muslims “take fasting more seriously.” In fact, the social imperatives of fasting are more strictly observed among Muslims than among Christians, where the observance tends to be more lenient, except within certain circles and tight-knit communities (religious orders, apostolic movements, families, close colleagues).
Mercantilism and Religious Symbolism
However, much like the Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter, where the commercial spirit often overshadows the Christian symbolism, replacing it with a simplistic consumerist imagery (the Christmas tree, gifts, Santa Claus for Christmas, and rabbits, chicks, and chocolate eggs for Easter), the Muslim fast – intended as a time of self-discipline – can sometimes be overshadowed by an evening routine of family gatherings and feasting, long hours in the kitchen, and endless television series.
In fact, as wholesalers know only too well, there is typically an increase in consumption during the month of Ramadan, along with an increase in the price of vegetables such as onions, radishes, tomatoes, parsley, mint, and more. Fattoush is, of course, a staple salad at any proper iftar. The meal traditionally begins with a few dates and licorice juice (souss). While this adds to the charm and revitalizes social life, it can also shift the focus of the fast, turning it into a series of distractions overshadowed by the sound of hookah pipes.
In addition to this folklore, Catholic Christians observe the tradition of “Drunken Thursday” (Khamis es-Sakara) on the Thursday before Lent, indulging in arak while eating raw liver, mint leaves, onions, and garlic-laden labneh. This mirrors the Western practice of Mardi Gras or Carnival—a time of indulgence before the fasting period. Clearly, this ritual distorts the true purpose of fasting. Drunkenness prepares one for abstinence no better than sobriety does. To further highlight this, consider the Syrian Orthodox tradition, which prepares for Lent with a three-day total fast known as the “Fast of Nineveh."
Hidden Differences and Similarities from a Theological Perspective
Theologically speaking, the differences between Muslim and Christian fasting are clear, though deeper similarities emerge upon closer examination. Ramadan, a central pillar of Islam, is one of the five fundamental tenets of the faith, alongside the declaration of faith (Shahada): "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is His prophet"; the five daily prayers; obligatory almsgiving (zakat); and the pilgrimage to Mecca. Ramadan is the month of fasting, marking the period during which the Quran was revealed. The month concludes with Eid al-Fitr, also known as the Little Feast (Eid al-Saghir), followed by Eid al-Adha (Aïd el-Kébir) or “the day of sacrifice” (“the Great Feast”) which commemorates Abraham’s faith. In obedience to God's command, he was prepared to sacrifice his son (Ishmael for Muslims, Isaac for Christians), but an angel intervened at the last moment, providing a ram as a substitute.
A Christian might reflect on the virtue of Abraham's faith in God and his trust in offering what was dearest and irreplaceable to him. Conversely, a Muslim might see a connection in the Christian understanding of fasting, recognizing the sacrificial offering of Jesus, the Lamb of God.
In fact, fasting touches the most intimate aspect of the human being: the heart. A heart that, as philosopher Jean Guitton interprets from Pascal, “embodies truth through charity.” The transformation of the heart is key to any conversion, and it occurs only when one encounters God. Sometimes, it takes very little. For Claudel, in particular, it was enough to be in Notre-Dame de Paris, among the crowd of worshipers, “next to the second pillar at the entrance to the choir, on the right side by the sacristy.” “In an instant, I believed,” he said.
For some mystics, this encounter can last for hours, with prolonged moments in which God works deep within us, transforming us. In this sense, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, pilgrimages, devotions, and all forms of ascetic practices are meant to keep this encounter alive, like logs being added to a blazing fire. Without the heart, however, it would be like trying to warm oneself in front of a cold, extinguished hearth.
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