When a Nation Prayed:
The Forgotten Tradition of Public Fast Days
A proclamation declaring a general fast day to implore God to intervene and protect the people of Boston from a plaque or some sort of sickness. The date of the fast is indicated as Thursday the First Day of April. Printed in Boston by J. Draper on February 25, 1735. No copies of a Canadian fast day proclamation could be located but it would have followed the general form and content of this one.
In times of crisis, colonial governments in Nova Scotia and beyond called on citizens to fast, reflect, and seek divine intervention – a practice that once helped define public life.
On February 17, 1813, a day of public fasting was proclaimed throughout Nova Scotia. The reference, tucked away in a 1979 publication titled Nova Scotia Book of Days, offered little more than a line – but it opened the door to a long-forgotten tradition.
The idea of a ‘public fast day’ might conjure images of people gathering in a town square, abstaining from food and praying together. And while public participation was certainly the goal, the word public in this context meant something broader – it referred to the people of the province as a whole. These fasts were often solemn affairs, tied to crises such as war, epidemic, or crop failure. They were proclaimed by colonial governors, often at the urging of church leaders, and called upon everyone – regardless of ethnicity or religion – to pause, reflect, and pray.
Fasting, in its most basic form, means refraining from food or drink for a set period. It has long been practiced for religious, ritualistic, or even health reasons. In the colonial period, however, it was a civic as well as spiritual act – a show of collective humility in the face of divine judgment.
Across British North America and the wider empire, these ‘days of humiliation’ served to unite communities under shared values and institutions. People were encouraged to see themselves as part of a greater whole – members of a British Christian society tied by monarchy, institutional religion, and a common national identity.
On the other side of the religious calendar were days of thanksgiving. These were often declared to mark moments of celebration: the end of a war, a successful harvest, or the lifting of an epidemic. While today’s Thanksgiving Day is seen as a harvest celebration with American roots, the tradition of public thanksgivings goes back centuries, likely to 11th-century England. In early Canada, there were many such days – and a fast could be declared just as easily in response to a particular crisis in a given year.
Though the proclamations themselves are hard to find – and no known examples from Canada have yet been located – the formula likely mirrored that of British and New England declarations. One such example, printed in Boston by J. Draper in 1735, implores God to ‘prevent… more terrible Effects’ of a deadly sickness already afflicting the city.
Such proclamations were not just spiritual acts – they were also tools of governance and community formation. In Nova Scotia and other colonies, they helped reinforce the bonds between church and state, subject and monarch, colony and empire.
A Glimpse at Days of Humiliation
Public fast days were rare but powerful moments in the life of early Nova Scotia. While complete records are hard to come by, a few documented instances help paint the picture:
February 17, 1813
A day of public fasting is proclaimed across Nova Scotia during the War of 1812. The reason is not recorded, but likely relates to the hardships of wartime.
March 16, 1832 (probable)
Cholera outbreaks across North America lead to fast proclamations in nearby regions. While a Nova Scotia record is not confirmed, similar days were held in the Canadas and New England.
April 23, 1854 (British Empire-wide)
A day of humiliation and prayer declared across the Empire as Britain prepared for war with Russia (Crimean War). Nova Scotia would likely have observed this.
Occasional Local Days
Church records in towns like Lunenburg, Windsor, and Annapolis Royal occasionally refer to days of prayer and fasting during periods of illness or hardship.
Note: Fast days were often declared at short notice and may not have been formally archived in provincial records.
References
Elliott, Shirley B. (Editor), (1979). Nova Scotia Book of Days: A Calendar of the Province’s History. Nova Scotia Communications and Information Centre.
Hardwick, Joseph. (2017). Fasts, Thanksgivings, and Senses of Community in Nineteenth-Century Canada and the British Empire. Canadian Historical Review, Volume 98, Number 4. https://doi.org/10.3138/chr.98.4.675