Lent is a period of reflection and fasting for Catholics all around the world; coincidentally, it’s also a time for great fish. Over the past several weeks, local churches have been hosting their annual fish fries to satiate the hungry Erie crowds. The question is, whose fish is the best?

Before comparing fish, it is important to understand where the fish fry tradition came from. There are numerous different claims as to why Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays, but here are a few interesting ones:

One theory is that Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert to create food for himself, but Jesus replied by saying that “man does not live on bread alone, but on every word from the mouth of God.” This has led to the tradition of fasting from food so that we can feed ourselves spiritually with scripture instead. U.S. Catholic also states that there was a historical reason as to why fish is the primary food consumed during Lent. The reason is that red meat was generally hard to come by for the average person and was generally a food enjoyed by the wealthy. So, fish was the food of the common man and consuming it humbles us.

U.S. Catholic also goes on to say that Friday, the day we abstain from meat, was also the day that God created the animals, “so abstaining from the shedding of blood seems appropriate.”

As to what you can expect to eat during a fish fry, usually you will see pierogies, French fries, vegetables such as green beans, and a variety of fish. The prices of the meals in Erie are all generally the same, with about $15 being the average for adults, and about $5-6  for children. As to which parish hosts the best fry, I have always been quite partial to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Their fish and fries are always very crisp, and the people are always friendly. As for seniors Aidan Richter and Michael Kuzma, they stand by St. Luke.

With a very short amount of time remaining in the Lenten season, it is important to remember not to take for granted the luxuries we have available to us; Furthermore, with Easter around the corner, spending a little extra time in prayer and fasting is the perfect way to prepare for the ultimate gift of salvation which our Lord has given us.