Pope Shenouda III
Fasting of the whole nations
In the same way, people fasted in the days of Jehoshaphat (2 Chr 20:3).
The Epistle of Jeremiah tells us of the fasting by the people in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah (Jer 36:9).
There was also another collective fast during the days of the Prophet Joel (Joel 2:12).
Other collective fasts, were “The fast of the fourth month, The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth” (Zech 8:19).
Fasting is also common in every religion where nations fast.