For the sake of health
Germans do without this when fasting
A pint of beer is not appropriate during Lent
© Heiko Becker / Picture Alliance
The Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, begins on April 2nd. Lent is almost over for devout Christians. Statista’s infographic shows what Germans could do without most when fasting.
Seven weeks without internet or without a car? Some people in Germany want to do without these luxury goods during Lent. The Christian Lent traditionally begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts until Easter. The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan starts this year on April 2nd and ends on May 2nd with the celebrations often referred to in this country as the “Sugar Festival” (Arabic: Eid al-Fitr, Turkish: Ramazan Bayrami).
According to a current survey by the DAK together with Forsa, the fasting trend is increasing in Germany. Around 23 percent of Germans consider it sensible to fast from a health perspective.
Fasting for health reasons
While Muslims abstain from eating from sunrise to sunset but are allowed to eat again in the evening, fasting for Christian reasons means abstaining for seven weeks. Most of the time, this renunciation consists of living healthier lives or breaking a certain “bad habit” for the time being.
The Germans fast most often when drinking alcohol – according to the DAK study, 73 percent of those surveyed can imagine doing without beer, wine and the like during Lent. 68 percent do not want to eat sweets during this time and 56 percent remove meat from the menu.
Around 43 and 39 percent of the survey participants want to give up smoking and television for weeks. Life without a computer or smartphone is more difficult for Germans: 27 percent intend to do without them during Lent, as the Statista chart shows.
In the last place of the good fasting resolutions is the plan to leave the car for a few weeks. This point will probably be less and less difficult for most fasting people due to the high gas prices.