As of: February 13, 2024, 6:00 a.m
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The Eittingen fish dealer Ralf Sachs and his employees Petra Jagusch (l.) and Rita Rosenow are happy about good sales.
© Peter Bauersachs
Restaurateurs and fish sellers report: The Catholic fasting tradition remains strong on Ash Wednesday.
On Fridays, however, they observe less meat abstinence among their guests and customers.
Erding
– For many people, fish and Ash Wednesday simply belong together.
Innkeepers and fishmongers usually do a pretty good business around this Catholic tradition.
The custom of abstaining from meat on Fridays throughout the year is on the decline, says Pesenlern landlady Claudia Bachmaier.
“That only happens sporadically,” she says, referring to her guests’ orders.
Ralf Sachs from Eitting, who sells fish in Erding at the Green Market on Thursdays and can also be found at other markets in the area with his sales van, is pleased about the big sales on Ash Wednesday: “This is actually the second best day of the year for the individual market .”
Business only runs better during the Christmas season.
Fillet products, such as redfish and cod, are particularly popular.
But smoked meats and whole trout are also among the most sought-after Ash Wednesday fish.
“Ash Wednesday is one of the biggest fasting days when people abstain from meat.
Fish is allowed,” explains Erding’s town priest Martin Garmaier, explaining the origins of the tradition.
However, the first day of Lent is becoming increasingly less important.
“Many people see Ash Wednesday as just an extended carnival,” says Garmaier, regretting the social change.
The subsequent Lent, however, is still important for many.
Here too, the priest notices a change: “Many people no longer give up meat, but rather, for example, sweets, alcohol or media.”
A pure fish dinner on Ash Wednesday is offered at the Gasthof Stangl in Eichenried.
There is everything there, from pollock to pasta with seafood.
“The tradition still seems to be very present,” says Richard Stangl happily.
In addition to a fish dinner organized by clubs, fish on Ash Wednesday is also very popular among guests in regular restaurants.
Meat, on the other hand, is only available if someone specifically asks for it.
“But vegetarian and vegan dishes are also very well received,” says Stangl.
At the Gasthaus Bachmaier in Pesenlern, fine fish and hearty speeches are on the menu every year on Ash Wednesday.
At the Free Voters' Political Ash Wednesday, trout, pike-perch and salmon are served, with cheese spaetzle as a vegetarian alternative.
“We don’t have meat on Ash Wednesday,” reports Claudia Bachmaier.
However, she suspects that the tradition of the meatless fasting day is losing importance.
Christoph Helfert from the Kiesle trout farm in Ottenhofen, on the other hand, has not noticed any decline in the Ash Wednesday tradition.
“People also really like fish that was practically produced here,” he explains.
In addition to Ash Wednesday, he also achieves particularly high sales at Easter and Christmas.
The brook trout and trout in particular are very popular with customers.