What are the Good Friday fasting rules?

Catholics aged 18 to 59 eat one full meal and up to two smaller meals that together are less than a full meal, with nothing between meals. Everyone aged 14 and over abstains from meat. Water, coffee, tea and medicine are always allowed.

When is Good Friday 2027?

Good Friday 2027 is 26 March. In 2028 it is 14 April.

Can you eat fish on Good Friday?

Yes. Fish and shellfish are not meat and may be eaten on Good Friday, as may eggs and dairy. The fast still limits you to one full meal and two smaller ones.

Who is exempt from fasting on Good Friday?

Anyone under 18 or over 59, pregnant and nursing women, the sick, those with a health condition or on medication that needs food, and those doing heavy physical work. They should still abstain from meat if they are 14 or over and able to.

Good Friday fasting rules: what Catholics can eat

Good Friday is one of only two days in the year when the Church requires Catholics both to fast and to abstain from meat. Here is exactly what that means at the table, who it applies to, and the dates for the next few years.

The rule in one table

	Requirement	Who
Fasting	One full meal; up to two smaller meals that together are less than a full meal; nothing between meals	Ages 18 to 59
Abstinence	No meat, and no soups or gravies made from meat	Age 14 and over
Drinks	Water, tea, coffee, juice and milk are allowed at any time; alcohol is best avoided	Everyone
Medicine	Never breaks the fast; take it as prescribed, with food if needed	Everyone

Dates

Good Friday 2026	3 April 2026
Good Friday 2027	26 March 2027
Good Friday 2028	14 April 2028

Good Friday is always two days before Easter Sunday. The other obligatory fast day is Ash Wednesday, 46 days before Easter; see the Lent 2027 dates.

What a Good Friday looks like in practice

The fast is moderate by design. A typical day:

Morning: a small breakfast, for example toast or a piece of fruit with coffee or tea. Under the old rules this "frustulum" was about two ounces of bread.
Main meal: taken at midday or in the evening, whichever suits you. Fish, eggs, vegetables, pasta, rice and bread are all fine; meat is not.
Second small meal: a light supper or lunch, smaller than the main meal. The two small meals together should not add up to another full meal.
Between meals: nothing to eat. Drinks are allowed.

Many Catholics choose to keep the fast stricter than the minimum, for example a single meal only, or bread and water. That is a personal devotion, not an obligation.

Holy Saturday

Lent formally ends on Holy Thursday evening, but the Church "earnestly recommends" that the Good Friday fast be continued through Holy Saturday until the Easter Vigil (Second Vatican Council, Sacrosanctum Concilium 110). This is the ancient paschal fast, the oldest fast in Christianity. It is not obligatory, but it is the most fitting way to prepare for Easter.

Who is exempt

The fast binds only those aged 18 to 59. Even within that range, you are excused if you are:

pregnant or nursing;
ill, recovering from surgery, or managing a chronic condition such as diabetes;
taking medication that must be taken with food;
in recovery from, or living with, an eating disorder;
doing heavy physical work that day.

If you are excused from fasting you are usually still able to abstain from meat, and the Church asks you to do so if you are 14 or over. If you cannot, choose another small act of penance, such as attending the Good Friday liturgy or praying the Stations of the Cross. If you feel faint or unwell while fasting, eat. Breaking the fast for a good reason is not a sin. When in doubt, ask your doctor and your parish priest.

Why Good Friday?

It is the day of the Crucifixion. Fasting on Good Friday goes back to the second century; by the time of St Irenaeus, Christians were already disputing how long the fast before Easter should last, not whether to keep it. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the two days that survived every reform of the fasting discipline, from the medieval fast, through the 1917 Code, to Paul VI's Paenitemini in 1966, because they bracket Lent with its beginning and its end.

The traditional rules

Before 1966, Good Friday was one of about fifty fast days in the year, and one of the days of complete abstinence. The rule for the day itself was the same as now: one full meal, two collations, no meat. What changed in 1966 was the rest of Lent, not Good Friday. The Fast Days app shows the modern two-day fast or the full traditional Lenten fast depending on the tier you choose.

A reminder on the morning of Good Friday

Fast Days puts Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and every abstinence day on your calendar and sends a reminder when each one arrives, with a note of what is required. Free on iPhone and iPad, no account needed.

Download Fast Days free on the App Store

Frequently asked questions

Can I have snacks on Good Friday?

No. Food between the three meals is what the fast gives up. Drinks are fine.

Can I eat eggs or cheese on Good Friday?

Yes. Eggs and dairy are not meat. Before 1741 they were forbidden throughout Lent, and some Catholics still give them up voluntarily.

Does the fast end at midnight or after the Easter Vigil?

The obligation ends at midnight on Good Friday. Continuing through Holy Saturday until the Vigil is recommended but voluntary.

Is Good Friday a holy day of obligation?

No. There is no Mass on Good Friday. Attending the afternoon liturgy of the Passion is strongly encouraged but not required.

Sources: Code of Canon Law (1983), canons 1251 to 1253; Paul VI, Paenitemini (1966); Second Vatican Council, Sacrosanctum Concilium 110; 1917 Code of Canon Law, canons 1251 to 1252. Dates computed with the same engine as the Fast Days app. This page gives religious guidance, not medical advice.