Vegetarian customs

Both Muslims and Christians regard fasting as a spiritual exercise. The Muslim fast entails fasting from sunrise to sunset, most notably during the lunar month of Ramadan (either twenty-nine or thirty days). Some particularly devout Muslims also fast on other days in the Islamic calendar, such as the days commemorating the prophet Muhammad's birth or his miraculous "Night Journey," the days representing the lunar month's midpoint (days thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen), or every Monday and Thursday. As a result, nearly half of the days in the year are considered fasting days by some. Almost all Egyptian Muslims fast during Ramadan, with a smaller number participating in voluntary fasts.

Egyptian Christians can theoretically fast for a longer period of time. The number varies, but it includes more than 200 days per year, mostly during the Christmas and Easter seasons, as well as the Wednesdays and Fridays of each week that are not fasting days. Fasting as a Christian entails abstaining from meat, fish, eggs, milk, butter, and cheese. One theme of fasting in the Christian tradition is the dominance of the mind over the body and emotions in order to achieve greater purity.