Food is a delicate and quite recurring topic in our daily lives. We live in a country where you can eat the typical three meals a day and a snack between meals. The holidays are also an excuse for many people to eat, to celebrate. Thanksgiving and Christmas are holidays related primarily to eating, to preparing an entire day's meals to be eaten in an hour. During these meals we continue to eat until we are full, and eventually we need to sleep, freeing ourselves from the food we have just filled ourselves with. But where did the idea of ​​the party as a celebratory act come from? At the opposite end of the spectrum is fasting. When we think of fasting we often think of starving for no reason, or Gandhi's fasting as a political protest. We view fasting as a religious act, such as Ramadan for those who practice Islam. The idea of ​​fasting was not a concept that came from nowhere; it was to appease the gods and practice religion. By looking at these concepts and trying to understand the basics of feasting and fasting you can take a look at the historical context. Looking at monks and Christianity, Islam and the Puritans, one begins to fully understand that feasting and fasting were a religious act regulated to reflect commitment to one's religion; whether it is celebrating with a feast or fasting to show faithfulness. Party: explain. Fasting is primarily an act of voluntary abstinence or reduction from some or all foods, drinks, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all foods and liquids for a defined period, usually a single day (24 hours) or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive, limiting particular f...... middle of paper ......special days when the community can gather and offer thanks and prayers. These days of thanksgiving were celebratory and "in addition to religious observances often included feasts and games" (PR Newswire, Fasting and Feasting).Conclusion.Works CitedAddison, Bill. "Feasting After Fasting." Atlanta 52.4 (2012): 44. MasterFILE Premier Web. November 18, 2013. Aziz, Barbara. "Ramadan: holy month of fasting, celebration". National Catholic Reporter 31.14 (1995): 8. Academic Research Web: Monks, Food and Fasting in the Middle Ages London: Continuum, 2011. Print.PR, Newswire "Fasting and Feasting - The Puritan Way" PR Newswire US 19 November 2012: Regional Business News November 18, 2013. Wilson, Bee. "The Last Supper". New Statesman 129. (2000): 50-51. 2013.