During the season of Lent it is the practice of many to refrain from eating meat on Friday.

For those adhering to this practice, Vicksburg restaurants offer many options.

At the historic Klondyke Trading Post, located at 100 N. Washington St. there are several seafood entrees on the menu to choose from, one of which is the grilled shrimp salad.

Owner of the Klondyke, David Day, said during the Lenten season he does experience an uptick with fish orders at the restaurant on Fridays.

“But not outside Lent,” Day said.

Like Day, Will Hood, who is the owner of the Beechwood Restaurant and Lounge, located at 4451 Clay St. says he too, experiences an increase in fish entrees by customers during Lent and he even caters to their needs.

“We will actually have fish specials during Lent,” Hood said, adding, “We serve a lot of fish during Lent.”

But no matter the season, patrons can always enjoy Beechwood’s fried shrimp.

Both Rusty Larsen, who is the owner of Rusty’s Riverfront Grill, located at 901 Washington Street and Charles Toney, owner of Toney’s Grill & Seafood Market, 710 U.S. 61 N. have menus which include a plethora of seafood entrees making it challenging to determine if during the season of Lent patrons order more dishes with fish.

“When your back in the kitchen, you’re just trying to get the food out,” Larsen laughed, which would leave little time to notice.

Nevertheless whether abstaining from meat for the season or not, Rusty’s Riverfront Grill offers a delicious stuffed flounder that is sure to please as is the fried catfish at Toney’s Grill & Seafood Market.

There are a variety of reasons as to why fish is eaten on Fridays during Lent, one of which is  “to honor Christ who sacrificed his flesh on a Friday,” so many will observe the day by abstaining from flesh meat, states an article posted on the rediscover.archspm.org website.

Also, as a form of fasting during Roman times a Lenten meal would be comprised of simple and affordable foods like fish and vegetables.

“Meat was considered a food for the upper class and Lent was a time to eat as the poor would,” the website stated.