a question for my pagan friends

[ladymandrake]

Do any of you have within your path/practices a time *other than for rites of passage or initiation* when you give something up, fasting/abstinence/etc. Is there a reason behind it? What is it?

A friend reminded me that Ramadan starts for the Muslim faith within the next day or so. I'm wondering if any pagan paths do this as well and what the reasons are behind it...

I fast before performing each sabbat from dinner the night before until the sabbat feasting begins. I also fast and abstain before performing elevations and dedications.