&gt;Abstinence and fasting (Catholic traditional definition is one big meal, or a couple small meals) are sacrifices.<p>My point was that cutting meat out of a meal can in no way be seen as a sacrifice today.<p>&gt;Also, Meatless Monday is not about concern for the animals. It started as a health concern, and morphed into an environmental concern. If the concern were for the animals, they should be going for full-time meatlessness.<p>The origins of Meatless Monday actually date back to World War I rationing and was later revived as a health initiative. That&#x27;s irrelevant to the point that the vast majority of institutionalized pushing for the day comes from animal rights and welfare organizations. Of course people should be cutting meat entirely, but this is seen as some sort of intermediary measure to get people accustomed to vegetarian eating.