Abstinence: All persons who have completed their 14th year are bound by the law of abstinence.
Fast: All Adults are bound by the law of fast from the beginning of their 19th year and up to the beginning of their 60th year.
The law of abstinence means that a person is bound to abstain beginning the day after one's 14th birthday. The law of fast means that adults are bound to fast from the day after their 18th birthday and up until the end of the day of their 59th birthday.
The law of abstinence forbids the eating of meat and foods prepared with meat or meat by-products. The law of fast allows only one full meal and two lighter meals in the course of a day and prohibits eating between meals. In the United States, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence. All other Friday of Lent are days of abstinence only. Women who are pregnant and persons who are sick are not bound by the law of fast.
