FASTING

TERMINOLOGY: FASTING, SABBATH AND SABBATHICAL

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sabbaththe Sabbath
1. the day of the week kept by some religious groups for rest and worship.
The Sabbath is Sunday for most Christians, Saturday for Jews, and Friday for Muslims
2. the day of the week used by some religions as a day of rest and worship
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Sabbath
Definition of Sabbath
1a: the seventh day of the week observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening as a day of
rest and worship by Jews and some Christians
b: Sunday observed among Christians as a day of rest and worship
2: a time of rest
The History of Sabbatical and Sabbath: Take a Break
We tend to think of sabbatical in academic terms, as a school year free from teaching duties
that can be devoted to research, travel, and writing. Traditionally, this occurs every seventh
year.
Because of this scholarly context, we may easily miss what is hiding in plain sight:
that sabbatical is related to Sabbath, which refers to the Biblical day of rest, or the seventh
day. We trace the origins of both sabbatical and Sabbath to the Greek
word sabbaton. Sabbaton itself traces to the Hebrew word shabbāth, meaning “rest.”
The Old Testament refers to God’s “day of rest” most famously in Genesis,
but Sabbath referring to an entire year of rest is mentioned in Leviticus (25:3-5):
Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in
the fruit thereof; But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for
the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. That which groweth of its
own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed:
for it is a year of rest unto the land.
Sabbatical is also used as an adjective to refer specifically to the rules governing the
observance of the Sabbath, as in “sabbatical laws.”
First Known Use of Sabbath
Before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 a
History and Etymology for Sabbath
Middle English sabat, from Anglo-French & Old English, from Latin sabbatum, from
Greek sabbaton, from Hebrew shabbāth, literally, rest

https://www.britannica.com/topic/fasting
Fasting, abstinence from food or drink or both for health, ritualistic, religious,
or ethical purposes. The abstention may be complete or partial, lengthy, of short duration,
or intermittent. Fasting has been promoted and practiced from antiquity worldwide by
physicians, by the founders and followers of many religions, by culturally designated individuals
(e.g., hunters or candidates for initiation rites), and by individuals or groups as an expression of
protest against what they believe are violations of social, ethical, or political principles.
Fasting and religion
In the religions of ancient peoples and civilizations, fasting was a practice to prepare
persons, especially priests and priestesses, to approach the deities.
Fasting for special purposes or before or during special sacred times remains a characteristic of
major religions of the world.
Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, has observed a 40-day fast
period during Lent, a spring period of penitence before Easter, and during Advent, a penitential
period before Christmas.

https://orthodoxwiki.org/Fasting

Fasting in the Orthodox Church is usually considered abstaining from certain foods during
specific days or periods. However, fasting means more than simply abstaining from foods. It also
may include refraining from marital relations and limiting entertainment, for instance. Certainly,
it is a time when there is increased focus on refraining from evil actions and thoughts.