also: さいにち
fast day; day of abstinence
A day on which one abstains from certain foods or activities, often for religious purification. Used in Buddhist and Shinto contexts.
Today is a fast day, so I won't eat meat.
On fast days, we have vegetarian cuisine at the temple.
Standard kanji spelling. The reading さいじつ is more common than さいにち.
Alternate reading; less common than さいじつ.
From 斎 (purification, abstinence) + 日 (day). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used in Japanese religious contexts for centuries.