Voluntary abstinence from food, for a space of time, as a spiritual discipline, or as a token of religious humiliation.
A time of fasting, whether a day, week, or longer time; a period of abstinence from food or certain kinds of food; as, an annual fast.
A fast is a self-imposed period of not eating. People fast for medical or religious reasons, or to show strong support for an issue or a principle. back
A day of special devotion (Ash Wednesday, other weekdays of Lent and of Holy Week, Good Friday and all other Fridays of the year, except for Fridays in the Christmas and Easter seasons, and any Feasts of our Lord which occur on a Friday) observed by acts of discipline and self-denial.
A time when people do not eat so that they can concentrate on prayer and God.
Going without food and sometimes drink either partially or totally for a limited period as an act of faith. Sometimes it accompanies a certain season of the year (e.g. Lent for Christians and Yom Kippur for Jews).
To abstain from all or certain foods for religious or spiritual purposes; to eat very little or nothing.
abstain from certain foods, as for religious or medical reasons; "Catholics sometimes fast during Lent"
abstain from eating; "Before the medical exam, you must fast"
a period of time in which we do not eat (in this case, during the night while we are sleeping)
a restricted diet (which might mean total abstinence, or just abstaining from certain foods)
a type of cleanse - typically, you eat a few very specific foods or nothing at all for a period of time
to abstain from all or most foods for a specific period
to keep from eating food, or certain foods
To abstain from all or some foods.
The Fast is the last month of the Bahá'í calendar, a 19-day period during which Bahá'ís refrain from eating and drinking between sunrise and sunset. It is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in our inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in our soul. Its significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual in character. Fasting is symbolic, and a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal desires. Children, the elderly, pregnant/nursing mothers and the sick are not required to fast.
A crucial element in Bahá'í devotional life, it involves abstaining from all eating, drinking, and smoking from sunrise to sunset from 2 March to 20 March inclusive. Exempt from the fast are children under the age of 15; senior citizens over the age of 70; persons who are sick, traveling, or performing heavy labor; and women who are pregnant, menstruating, or nursing.
To abstain from food and drink for the purpose of drawing closer to the Lord.
To abstain from certain, or all, food and certain drink, except water, for a period of time for the purpose of physical detoxification and rejuvenation. A supplemented fast, or very low-calorie diet, consists of small amounts of regular foods and extra vitamins and minerals, or of a liquid "formula" diet which is nutritionally adequate except for its content of calories.
You will be asked to fast before you have a test for your blood cholesterol level. This means you have nothing to eat or drink — except for water — for the 9 to 12 hours before the test. Return to previous page.