Clean Monday
Clean Monday is a public holiday in Greece and Cyprus, where it is celebrated with outdoor excursions, the consumption of shellfish and other fasting food, a special kind of azyme bread, baked only on that day, named "lagana" () and the widespread custom of flying kites. Eating meat, eggs and dairy products is traditionally forbidden to Orthodox Christians throughout Lent, with fish being eaten only on major feast days, but shellfish is permitted in European denominations. This has created the tradition of eating elaborate dishes based on seafood (shellfish, molluscs, fish roe etc.). Traditionally, it is considered to mark the beginning of the spring season, a notion which was used symbolically in Ivan Bunin's critically acclaimed story, "Pure Monday".
Kashrut
A 2013 survey found that 22% of American Jews surveyed claimed to keep kosher in the home.
Many Jews observe "kashrut" partially, by abstaining from pork or shellfish, or by not drinking milk with a meat dish. Some keep kosher at home but will eat in a non-kosher restaurant. In 2012, one analysis of the specialty food market in North America estimated that only 15% of kosher consumers were Jewish. Muslims, Hindus, and people with allergies to dairy foods often consider the "kosher-pareve" designation as an assurance that a food contains no animal-derived ingredients, including milk and all of its derivatives. However, since "kosher-pareve" foods may contain honey, eggs, or fish, strict vegetarians cannot rely on the certification.