Beginning of Lent boosts local seafood sales
WILBRAHAM, Mass. (WWLP) – Friday is the first Friday in the Catholic holy season of Lent which also means a boost in seafood sales for local establishments.
Every year at this time, the demand for fish goes through the roof for businesses like the Big Y in Wilbraham. It is one of the most important times of the year for Catholics–Lent season.
From now through Easter Sunday, many catholics give up eating meat on Fridays. For many Catholics, refraining from meat is a form of sacrifice and penance, acknowledging Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross.
Stanley Kowalski of Wilbraham told 22News, 'Growing up we always did it as kids as well. My, my mom and dad always had fish at home and it was a special day for that.' As a result, many people buy fish or go to seafood restaurants on Fridays during Lent. For Big Y in Wilbraham, they started to see a rush of customers at their counters.
'I mean this is the day to get fish and they have a great sale going on,' he adds. 'I'm going to get some salmon here. $8.99.' The store is offering several seafood options like salmon, shrimp, and oysters, but their most popular seller is haddock and cod.'
Store Director Derek Kaczowka told 22News, 'We are very busy right now. And we were going to have fried fish and chip dinners for our customers. We make to order. And you could pick that up.' They expected to fulfill nearly 90 orders by the end of Friday.
'We have plenty of fish, plenty of condiments, boxes, plenty of staff, and we're just ready to go,' he adds. The store typically sees 6 fresh deliveries a week from the North Coast, so they are ready for the high demand expected to come for the next few weeks of Lent season.
Lent lasts 40 days and the observance of Lent dates back to the 4th century. Many have given up something, whether it's chocolate or TV or video games or other activities.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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