Changes to Christian Festivals and Fasts (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Religious Studies): Revision Note

Changes in how festivals and fasts are observed in the modern world

• Changes in traditional religious practices in the modern world mean that fasting and self-denial are less strictly observed by many modern Christians:

  • Fewer people fast completely during Lent or the Nativity Fast (Orthodox Advent)

• Practices such as giving up meat or daily prayer are often replaced by more flexible, personal acts (e.g. giving up social media)

• Church attendance during festivals such as Advent, Easter and Pentecost has decreased in some parts of the world

• Private or family-based observance is more common than public or communal worship in some Christian communities

• Some of the changes in the ways of observing festivals are as follows:

  • Traditional rituals such as lighting Advent candles or attending Maundy Thursday services may now be adapted or simplified

  • Festivals such as Holy Week or Ascension Day are less widely marked in Christian communities

  • Some denominations encourage creative or modern approaches to observance, e.g. digital Lent devotionals, online services

  • Religious festivals, especially Christmas, are sometimes celebrated more as cultural events, particularly in multicultural societies

Commercial aspects of Christmas and Easter

• In many countries, especially in the West, Christmas and Easter have become highly commercialised

• Christmas

  • This Christian festival is often focused more on gifts, shopping, decorations and entertainment than the birth of Jesus

  • Advertisements, sales and films often highlight Santa Claus, snow and family gatherings rather than the Nativity story

• Easter

  • This Christian festival is celebrated with chocolate eggs, bunnies and spring themes in secular culture

  • The resurrection of Jesus may be mentioned less often in public spaces or media

  • Some Christian customs are now part of wider secular culture, such as Easter egg hunts or Advent calendars with chocolate

• Both Christmas and Easter are often treated as national holidays, meaning many people celebrate them regardless of faith

Views of Christians about the changes

• Christians have different views about the changes in how festivals and fasts are observed, especially the growing commercial focus of Christmas and Easter

• Traditional Christians may feel that the true religious meaning of festivals such as Christmas and Easter is being lost

  • They prefer to focus on church attendance, prayer and reflection, rather than gifts or entertainment

  • Some may be concerned that commercialisation distracts from the focus that should be placed on Jesus’s birth, life, death and resurrection

• Progressive or Liberal Christians may accept modern customs as long as the religious message is still remembered

  • They might see secular traditions such as gift-giving or Easter egg hunts as a way to bring families together

  • They may use new traditions, such as chocolate Advent calendars or festive meals, to start conversations about faith

• Orthodox Christians often continue to follow traditional fasts and customs very closely

  • They may see modern changes as a weakening of Christian discipline and a move away from church teaching

  • They are more likely to preserve the full celebration of festivals such as the Nativity, Epiphany and Lent with fasting, prayer and long services

• Evangelical Christians often focus on personal belief and spreading the gospel

  • During festivals such as Christmas and Easter, they may use modern events such as Christmas concerts or Easter drama performances to share the Christian message

  • They may still be critical of how media and advertising have commercialised the festivals and reduced Jesus’s role and importance in public celebrations