How Are You Keeping Friday as a Traditional Day of Sacrifice?

It's Friday -- having fish for dinner?

When I was a child, every Friday of the year was a required day of abstinence unless it was a solemn feast day. It made sense to remind Catholics that Jesus died for us on "Good Friday" and to remember it once a week by giving up meat. I don't remember the year things changed in the U.S. but it was due to the bishops asking for an exception to allow Catholics to choose some other form of penance or a charitable practice on the Fridays outside of Lent in lieu of abstinence. But the Canon Laws pertaining to fast and abstinence are still in place and you can read them here.