On Good Friday, genders vary in terms of their adherence to tradition: 31 percent of men follow the religious fasting rule, while 20 percent of women do, according to a survey commissioned by the food company Iglo on Tuesday.

Three out of ten Austrians eat spinach on Maundy Thursday

Green stands for life and hope in Christian color symbolism, and apparently, young people in particular can use a portion of it: Over a third (34 percent) of 18 to 29-year-olds have spinach on their plates on Maundy Thursday. According to Iglo, 4.4 million packs of frozen spinach were sold before Easter in 2025. That was 45 percent of the total annual amount. Maundy Thursday is the fifth day of Holy Week, and Christians commemorate the Last Supper of Jesus on the eve of the crucifixion. According to tradition, many people eat green vegetables on that day - although the name Maundy Thursday actually derives from the word "greinen" (to weep, lament).

Carinthia and Styria are the most traditional

According to the survey, Carinthians and Styrians are the most traditional: Almost every second person there always eats spinach on Maundy Thursday. Fish on Good Friday is always on the table for more than a third. According to Statistics Austria, around 59 percent of Austrians had a Catholic or Protestant religious affiliation in 2021. In 2001, it was over 78 percent.

(APA/Red)

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