Fasting Day to National Holiday

Estonia has fewer public holidays compared to other European Union countries — we have earned an additional day off.

Proposal: Establishing a Fasting Day as a National Holiday

Honoured Parliament (Riigikogu),

We propose establishing one additional national holiday in Estonia — a Fasting Day (Paastupäev). The purpose of the Fasting Day is to support the physical health of the population, help prevent lifestyle-related diseases, and increase awareness of safe and voluntary fasting practices.

The Fasting Day would be a nationally recognized day of rest and health.

1. The Limited Number of Public Holidays in Estonia

Compared to several other European Union member states, Estonia has fewer national public holidays. For example, Finland has three more national holidays. Considering societal workload, employment demands, and the challenges of maintaining public health, it is reasonable to discuss the introduction of one additional day of rest.

2. Health Effects of Fasting

According to scientific literature, during short-term fasting (approximately 12–16 hours), autophagy processes are activated in the body. These processes support cellular renewal and the body’s self-regulation and natural healing mechanisms (see, for example: https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autofaagia).

Fasting may support health without the intervention of synthetic medications and, together with sufficient rest, may help reduce the risks of lifestyle-related diseases. A nationally recognized Fasting Day would set a precedent that fasting is not stigmatized as a sign of poverty, but rather acknowledged as a conscious and health-supporting choice.

3. Public Health and Nutritional Awareness

Estonia faces several public health challenges:

• a decrease in healthy life expectancy,
• rising living costs and increasing food prices,
• low birth rates,
• societal stress due to the geopolitical situation.

In addition, the food environment has changed:

• a large proportion of packaged and fast foods contain significant amounts of added substances that are not essential to a healthy diet, including added sugars (the proportion of which is not always clearly presented) and potentially toxic compounds resulting from production processes, not all of which are yet detectable by laboratories;
• foods that are evolutionarily non-native to the local population are becoming increasingly popular, raising health risks;
• knowledge about the health effects of foods is often incomplete or outdated.

A Fasting Day, supported by educational efforts from nutrition counselors and healthcare professionals, would allow people to pause, evaluate their eating habits, and, if necessary, make informed changes.

4. Social and Crisis-Preparedness Dimension

Even with possible future legislation regulating food donations, existing resources are unlikely to cover the entire population living in relative poverty. A Fasting Day may also be viewed as part of societal resilience and crisis preparedness, during which the population is informed about safe fasting practices and necessary exceptions in emergency situations.

5. Cultural and International Context

Fasting traditions have historically been present in many cultures and religions. In several countries, there are numerous partial or full fasting days throughout the year. According to artificial intelligence data, in the Orthodox Christian diaspora there are approximately 160–180 partial (abstaining from meat) and full fasting days annually.

Estonia has also defined itself as a people connected to nature, and therefore a cleansing and rest day aligned with natural rhythms fits well within our cultural self-identity.

6. Possible Timing

The date of the Fasting Day could be:

• January 6 (Epiphany) — a period after Christmas and New Year, when eating has often been excessive; this date is a public holiday in Finland;
• February 2, the anniversary of the signing of the Tartu Peace Treaty, which could gain additional meaning through solidarity with countries at war, observed as a fasting day of rest when the sun begins to provide more energy;
• April 7, International Health Day;
• As a movable holiday inspired by Shrove Tuesday, after Fat Tuesday during the waning moon period of ancient cleansing rituals, when digestion is naturally more difficult due to cold weather.

When selecting the date, it would be reasonable to involve healthcare and nutrition specialists and to consider contraindications, particularly for children and underweight individuals.

Summary

A national Fasting Day would combine:

• the need for an additional day of rest,
• the promotion of public health,
• increased nutritional awareness,
• social solidarity and crisis preparedness,
• cultural continuity.

We ask the Riigikogu to consider this proposal as part of Estonia’s long-term strategy for the health and sustainability of its people.

A national Fasting Day would not regulate people’s diets nor impose obligations. It would be a voluntary public holiday intended to provide time for rest and reliable information to support informed health choices.

The state does not tell people what to eat or not to eat — the state creates an opportunity.

Respectfully,

The signatories of the Rahvaalgatus.ee proposal “Fasting Day to National Holiday”

Let us be healthy! (Olgem terved!)