--- title: Meat on THIS Friday? description: Sister Christina shares about how to make the day after Thanksgiving a special opportunity for serving others.  image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20231124%20SrChristina%201.png --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/meat-on-this-friday#) # Meat on THIS Friday? Nov 24, 2023 10:00:00 AM  |  by [Sr. Christina Marie Neumann OSF](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/sr-christina-marie-neumann) ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20231124%20SrChristina%201.png) *Sister Christina shares about how to make the day after Thanksgiving a special opportunity for serving others. * --- Along with traditionally being a day for super sales, crowded stores, early-morning lines, and an extra day off from school, the day after Thanksgiving historically has significance in the American Catholic culinary sphere as well.    I didn’t know this, but one of our Sisters clued me in (some time ago) that, in the former days of obligatory Friday abstinence from meat, this post-Turkey Day Friday was not included. A sort of indult was given to Catholics in our country for the practical reason of using up leftover turkey.      The Church truly is a prudent and loving mother!    Being born in the latter part of the twentieth century, I never knew the Fridays of required abstinence throughout the year (other than Lent and Good Friday) but found this little tidbit of information interesting.    Now that [we are free to choose our form of penance (or charitable action) on Fridays and are not strictly bound to abstain from meat](https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/lent/us-bishops-pastoral-statement-on-penance-and-abstinence), this day after Thanksgiving is a perfect time to do some special act of charity as a family.      With no school today, one might take the opportunity to go to a nearby nursing home or homeless shelter to do a service project, or simply share smiles and kindness with people there.     What a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend tradition that would be!      > [Click to tweet: > This day after Thanksgiving is a perfect time to do some special act of charity as a family. #CatholicMom](https://ctt.ac/DN1An)   Editor's note: to learn more about Friday abstinence from meat and engaging in voluntary personal penance, read [paragraphs 18-28 of the Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence](https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/lent/us-bishops-pastoral-statement-on-penance-and-abstinence) at [USCCB.org](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/meat-on-this-friday).   ![null](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/20231124%20SrChristina%202.png?width=1080&height=1080&name=20231124%20SrChristina%202.png) --- Copyright 2023 Sr. Christina Marie Neumann, OSF Images: Canva ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fmeat-on-this-friday%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fmeat-on-this-friday%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fmeat-on-this-friday%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Meat%20on%20THIS%20Friday%3F) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fmeat-on-this-friday%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fmeat-on-this-friday%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Sr. Christina Marie Neumann OSF](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Sr%20Christina%20Marie%20Neumann%20OSF.jpg) ### [Sr. Christina Marie Neumann OSF](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/sr-christina-marie-neumann) After serving at [St. Anne's](https://www.stannesguesthome.org/), a home for the elderly and disabled, for fourteen years, where she helped in a variety of roles, Sister Christina is now at her community’s provincial house and retreat center in Hankinson, North Dakota. Along with other work there, she also keeps up a blog, [Our Franciscan Fiat](http://www.ndfranciscans.org/fiat.html), on behalf of her Community. 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