Everyone knows that our ancestors adhered to traditions and considered every Lenten day a joy. This time was special. Historically, fasting is a restriction of a religious person in something for the purpose of repentance. Some Christians use the metaphor "spring of the soul". It characterizes the inner state of a person who has set a goal to sacrifice himself to God. The Lord showed believers an example when he stayed in the wilderness for 40 days and did not eat anything. Spring in nature means awakening, new life Likewise, fasting is a time for self-examination, self-improvement, and prayer. Some people can independently, without external help, look for flaws, shortcomings, and correct them.
In Christianity, this is given a special time, called fasting days. During periods of fasting, active spiritual work is done, passions are eradicated, the soul is cleansed. To do this, it is necessary to go to the temple often, pray in the morning and evening, do good deeds, give alms, visit the weak, prisoners, learn humility.
What is a fast day for?
In the practice of Christianity, there are 4 multi-day fasts (the Great Lent takes place in the spring, Uspensky and Petrov - in the summer, Christmas - in the winter) and separate fast days- Wednesday and Friday. During long fasts the main ones are the first and last weeks. At this time, a person needs to be extremely attentive to himself and his loved ones. Important for a fasting person is the internal state, deeds, actions, spoken words.
What should abstinence be?
Many mistakenly believe that you need to limit yourself only in food. Self-control is a very complex action that requires considerable effort. It is to track these changes that the Lord created the state in which a person lives. If a Christian fully observes external conditions, but visits entertainment establishments, watches entertainment programs, behaves unworthily, this can be called an ordinary diet. In this case, the Lord will see the deceit, and spiritual development will not. It happens the other way around, when a person consumes forbidden foods, but fasts in the shower. An example is a disease of the stomach or intestines, when a strict diet is needed. This desire and perseverance will be appreciated from above.
What to eat and what not
So, now let's figure out what kind of food you can eat in fasting and what not. There is a simple rule about nutrition. It is allowed to eat food of plant origin and it is forbidden to eat animal products.
Forbidden
- food, poultry.
- Fish (but on some days of fasting it is allowed).
- Eggs, as well as the products in which they are included.
- Dairy products, butter, dairy products, sour cream, cheeses.
Allowed
You can eat these foods:
- Vegetables in different form, pickles.
- Fruits, dried fruits, nuts.
- Kashi on the water.
- Legumes, soy products.
- Mushrooms.
- Bread, baked goods.
- Fish (only on permitted days).
During fasting, you need to diversify your diet to the maximum, as the body is used to proteins and fats. You need to eat everything, for example, juices, soy products, sweets, chocolate. In addition to basic ingredients such as vegetables and fruits, it is necessary to introduce a variety of modern products.
Be sure to try eggplant, celery, spinach, broccoli, arugula, chickpeas (from the legume family). Ordinary vegetables from the garden can be cooked in a special way, experimented, add various herbs and seasonings.
For any housewife, preparing a new dish is a special ritual during which a woman plunges into her element. To do this, you can create The Diary and enter each prescription. Fasting days will brighten up communication with loved ones, as a joint meal brings together. Ways of cooking that really turned out great, try to recommend to friends, share experiences. It is important to remember that the body must be supported by those products, which include protein and glucose, fats.
Recipes for every day
The most common ingredients in lean kitchen are vegetables, they are suitable for both side dishes and gourmet dishes. There are a lot of recipes. For example, it is easy to make excellent meatballs from ordinary potatoes, as well as a salad or a casserole. From boiled vegetables - vinaigrette.
IN Lately it became fashionable to make soups-puree. They are very nutritious, quickly and thoroughly digested. This method of cooking will appeal to young children, people of advanced age. The use of this product is not difficult. The recipe is very simple, because all the selected ingredients must first be boiled and then chopped with a blender. Next, the resulting mixture is added to the broth.
Depending on the components, the calorie content and nutritional value of the dish may vary. In some countries, this cooking method is the most common. Here is the recipe for this soup.
Soup puree with potatoes and white bread
To make the dish rich in vitamins and minerals, take parsley, celery and carrots, head onion. Let's wash them under running water, peel, cut into small pieces so that the cooking process takes less time. Put on the stove and cook for 30 minutes over medium heat. Now we decant the broth into a separate container and set it aside.
So it's time for the potatoes. We clean it, wash it, divide each tuber into 4 parts and lower it into the broth. We do the same with white bread. Yes, it needs to be cut and boiled together with potatoes.
Then we take some wheat flour. Mix it with vegetable oil and place in a pan with potatoes and bread. Cook until cooked, then decant the broth. You can use a colander to separate the potatoes with bread from the broth.
The cooking process is coming to an end. Grind all the ingredients that were cooked earlier in a blender and send back to our broth. The highlight of the soup will be toasted croutons, which must be fried in advance in a frying pan with butter. If the dish turned out to be thick, it is necessary to dilute it with boiled water.
Diet variety
What else can you eat in fasting, besides vegetables and fruits? Of course, porridge boiled in water. Grains are very useful. In the first place is buckwheat, rich in vitamins and trace elements that can be absorbed by the body in as soon as possible. It can be cooked with fried onions, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach. The list of cereals is huge, we list some of them:
- rice;
- barley;
- millet;
- wheat;
- barley;
- corn;
- semolina.
Also, cereals can be combined with each other, for example, rice and millet. To make the taste not so bland, add margarine or spread. In the morning with honey and juice, you can eat or chocolate balls. Muesli during fasting days will be an excellent reinforcement during working days. The same can be said about dried fruits, which serve as a snack. In supermarkets, at any time of the year, a lot of frozen vegetable mixes, fruits, and berries are sold. These products will make an excellent filling for lean pies, pancakes, dumplings.
Homemade pickles and marinades, compotes and jams will help diversify the diet. Sauerkraut or lecho will be a great addition to pasta, potatoes or buckwheat. Today in stores you can find many products, for example, mayonnaise, cookies, waffles, which are labeled "lean".
In modern Orthodox practice many priests recommend that parishioners consult with their doctor beforehand. Here are some medical tips that will be helpful. For digestion in the first couple of days, it is better not to use chips, crackers, sweet nuts, carbonated drinks, strong coffee, tea. also in last days Orthodox should not abruptly switch to permitted products. Do not pounce on eggs, Easter cakes and smoked meats. It must be remembered that there is such a sin as gluttony. Sometimes we do not notice how we get pleasure from eating food, we eat with greed even during fasting. You have to control your feelings.
Fast days. Wednesday and Friday
It is known that in each calendar circle, the fasting time falls on different dates. The fast days of 2016 are a special time for the Orthodox. We also noted that Wednesday and Friday are no less important in this regard throughout the year. But there are also weeks without fasting, for example, before Maslenitsa, Maslenitsa itself, Trinity, Svetlaya, Svyatki. You can always look at the calendar of fasting days to get the information you need.
Wednesday became fast in connection with the memory that Judas betrayed Christ on the eve of His real sins people betray the Savior who suffered for us. A fasting Christian remembers this event and laments. To understand the seriousness historical date fast day is observed almost every week. Friday is a fast day, when Christ died for the sins of the world, He was publicly crucified on the cross as a robber. So that believers do not forget about the great event, on Friday it is necessary to especially abstain mentally and bodily. Orthodox fast days are called upon to take care of the spirituality of believers.
important goal
Skillfully and wisely built posts and fasting days. They alternate with idle time. Such a sequence calls us to renew our souls, to strive for repentance, compassion, and mercy. Then again it is allowed to have fun and rejoice. It was this way of life that helped our ancestors to remain in a good mood, to be healthy mentally and physically. Despite the restrictions and the rejection of the usual things, the result will not be long in coming. Harmony is always and in everything - the basis of the right way of life. To all Orthodox on fasting day - the best wishes, strength, patience, joy.
The main task of people in fasting is resistance to temptations, unbridled desires. A fasting Christian trains his spirit, teaches him to control his thoughts, lust, passion. It is quite difficult, you need to make every effort to develop the strength of the spirit. Fasting requires restraint from a person, rejection of the usual food.
Many people think that fasting is hunger. The poor, the rich, the poor, and the prisoners are starving. But this has nothing to do with the post. The Church calls for physical and spiritual fasting. A fasting person comes to his cherished goal only when he combines the rejection of habitual food with spiritual fasting. He goes to church, reads the appropriate prayers, does not swear, does not lie, helps his neighbors.
Wednesdays commemorate the death and suffering of Jesus and how he was betrayed by Judas.
On Friday, they commemorate the Savior, His mortal agony and death.
The teachings of Jesus say that: “Demon possession can only be driven out by fasting and prayer” (Matthew 17:21). Fasting is a two-winged dove, one wing is fasting, the second is prayer. A dove cannot live without one wing, and neither can we, and we have no right to share one whole.
Keeping fast days all year round, a person strengthens and maintains the protection of his soul and astral body, from the evil eye, damage. This is the only thing that works one hundred percent and gives results. Adhering to such simple rules, you will always be fully armed, and devilry cannot tempt you.
Orthodox, who work exhaustingly, very hard, sick, children, women in position, the church allows not to fast to the fullest extent. The only exceptions can be those days that the Orthodox spend in a complete refusal to eat, the church allows, as an exception, such people to consume dry food, teas, compotes.
Fasting Wednesday and Friday Do's and Don'ts
If a religious festival falls on these days, they become non-fast, it is allowed to cook fish. If there is such a big and bright holiday as the Nativity of the Savior or his Baptism, then it is completely canceled.
During the summer fast days, which keep their beginning from Petrovsky until the beginning of Christmas, it is necessary to strictly fast. In the period from the beginning of Christmas to the beginning of Maslenitsa, a non-strict fasting period lasts, it is allowed to cook fish dishes from low-fat varieties.There is no post for the week.
Whatever the days of fasting, this complex event which brings humanity closer both in spirit and body to the Savior.
For example, humanity is comparable to a rider on a thoroughbred horse. The human soul is the same rider, and the physical body is a thoroughbred horse. The task of the rider is to lead his horse to a certain goal, but the horse must also be in shape and not let the rider down. It's about the same with a human. The soul must lead the body to its goal - the Kingdom of Heaven.
First of all, we must adhere to the canons of the church. After all, Adam and Eve were punished only for the fact that, unable to withstand the fast, they could not resist and were tempted by eating a banal apple. This is lesson number one for all of us.
The second thing to note is the very philosophy of fasting. Refraining from carnal pleasures, ordinary food, spending time in prayer and repentance, we rise one step higher. We get closer to God.
If you simply limit yourself in eating and at the same time eat each other, then nothing else will come out than a banal diet, and it will not bring any benefit to the soul.
One day post January 2019
One-day January fast days include 1,18,23,25,30. It is allowed to cook dishes with the addition of refined oil, fish.
Strict fast days continue from 2 to 6.18th, religious celebration of Epiphany Eve. It is supposed to be carried out in full severity, in the refusal of food and all kinds of entertainment programs. Orthodoxy is preparing its soul for the Baptism of the Savior. Believers spend the whole next day in prayer, visit the temple, bless the water. It is supposed to swim at dawn, it is believed that the water that flows from the tap is consecrated and has healing properties.
One day post February 2019
The month of February is rich in fasting days. These include the number 1,6,8,13,15,27. It is allowed to cook fish dishes, food with the addition of refined oil.
Orthodox celebrate the Presentation of the Lord, on this day they do not fast.
The last week of February is Cheese Week or Oil Week among the people. During this period, no one fasts. Except for the consumption of animal products. The preparations for the Paschal Lent are starting.
One day post March 2019
The first number is singled out as the only one-day fasting period. It is allowed to cook fish dishes by adding refined oil in cooking. The number 2,23,30 is allocated to commemorate deceased relatives.
From the 4th to the 10th, you need to strictly fast, this is dedicated to the resurrection of the Savior. From 11 to 31 cooking is allowed with the addition of refined oil and fish products.
One day post April 2019
Believers fast throughout the month. The 6th day will be singled out to commemorate deceased relatives.
The church allows you not to fast on the 7th and 21st. Since religious celebrations fall on them. Annunciation of the Mother of God and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.
The preparation of fish products is allowed, the use of red wine is allowed. The Lenten period ends with the celebration of Easter.
One day post May 2019
The month is rich in fasting days, they distinguish 8,10,15,17,22,24,29,31. It is allowed to cook fish dishes, add refined oil to food. Allocate 7 and 9 numbers to commemorate deceased relatives.
One day post June 2019
Allocate 5,7,12,14 number. Cooking with the addition of refined oil, fish products is allowed.Allocate the 15th day to commemorate deceased relatives.
Orthodoxy celebrates the Ascension of the Lord and the Trinity.
IN last week For a month, believers keep the Petrovsky fast. It is allowed to cook fish products with the addition of refined oil.
One day post July 2019
Allocate 17,19,24,26,31 numbers. Cooking with the addition of refined oil, fish products is allowed.Petrovsky fast lasts from 1 to 11 inclusive. They fast strongly on the 3rd, 5th, and 10th.
Believers celebrate the Nativity of John the Baptist, Peter and Paul.
One Day Post August 2019
Allocate 2,7,9,30 number. Cooking with the addition of refined oil, fish products is allowed.Believers fast intensively from the 14th to the 27th.
They celebrate the Transfiguration of the Lord, and the Assumption of the Virgin. These days they do not fast.
One Day Post September 2019
Allocate 4,6,11,13,18,20,25,27 number. Cooking with the addition of refined oil, fish products is allowed. The exception is the 11th and 27th.
Believers fast in all severity, dedicated to the religious celebration of the Beheading of John the Baptist andExaltation of the Holy Cross.
On the Nativity of the Mother of God they do not fast.
One day post October 2019
Allocate 2,4,9,11,16,18,23,25,30 number. Cooking with the addition of refined oil, fish products is allowed. On theCover Holy Mother of God do not fast.
One day post November 2019
Allocate 1,6,8,13,15 number. Cooking with the addition of refined oil, fish products is allowed.On the 27th, believers enter the Christmas fasting period. Allocate the 2nd number, to commemorate deceased relatives.
One day post December 2019
They fast all month. In strictness they observe the number 6,11,13,18,20,25,27.On the day of the Entrance of the Virgin into the temple of the Lord.
Cooking with the addition of refined oil, fish products, drinking wine is allowed.
Post food diary 2018 – 2019
In 2018 and 2019, 4 large Lenten periods were singled out: Easter, Petrov, Assumption, Christmas.
In all strictness, they observe special fasting days allocated in Orthodox calendar. Only the use of dry foods, fruits and vegetables in a baked or boiled form, food without oil is allowed. It is allowed, subject to partial strictness, to cook lean liquid and boiled food with the addition of refined oil. As a basis, you can take an approximate menu from the provided diary. The menu can be expanded and improved. But be sure to adhere to the Orthodox calendar.
Diary of food in a very strict Easter and Assumption post.
Diary of food in the Christmas and Petrov post.
Man is a spiritual-corporeal being of a dual nature. The Holy Fathers said that the body fits the soul like a glove on the hand.
Therefore, any fast - one-day or multi-day - is a set of means to bring a person closer both spiritually and bodily to God - in the fullness of human nature.
Figuratively speaking, a person can be compared to a rider on a horse. The soul is the rider and the body is the horse. Let's say a horse is being trained for a race at a hippodrome. She is given certain food, trained, etc. Because the ultimate goal of the jockey and his horse is to come to the finish line first. The same can be said about the soul and body. Ascetic experience Orthodox Church with God's help created a universal toolkit of spiritual, physical and food products so that the rider-soul and the horse-body can come to the finish line - to the Kingdom of Heaven.
On the one hand, we should not neglect food fasting. Let's remember why the holy forefathers Adam and Eve committed the fall... Let's give a rather rough and primitive, far from complete interpretation: because they violated the food fast of abstinence - God's command not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This, I think, is a lesson for all of us.
On the other hand, food fasting should not be taken as an end in itself. This is just a means to thin our gross material fleshness through certain abstinences in food, in the use of alcohol, in marital relations so that the body becomes light, purified and serves as a faithful companion of the soul for acquiring the main spiritual virtues: prayer, repentance, patience, humility, mercy, participation in the Sacraments of the Church, love for God and neighbor, etc. That is, food fasting is the first step in ascent to the Lord. Without a qualitative spiritual change-transformation of his soul, he turns into a diet that is fruitless for the human spirit.
Once upon a time, His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kyiv and All Ukraine said a wonderful phrase that contained the essence of any fast: “The main thing in fasting is not to eat each other”. That is, this statement can be interpreted as follows: "If you, refraining from certain actions and food, if you do not cultivate virtue in yourself with God's help, and the main of them is love, then your fast is fruitless and useless.
Regarding the question posed in the title of the article. In my opinion, the beginning of the day in the evening refers to the liturgical day, i.e., the daily circle of services: hours, vespers, matins, Liturgy, which, in essence, are one service, divided into parts for the convenience of believers. By the way, in the time of the first Christians they were one service. But food fasting must match calendar day- that is, from morning to morning (liturgical day - from evening to evening).
First, this is confirmed by liturgical practice. We do not begin to eat meat, milk, cheese and eggs in the evening at Great Saturday(if you follow the logic of allowing the post in the evening). Or at Christmas and Epiphany Christmas Eve we do not eat the same foods in the evening, on the eve of the Nativity of Christ and Holy Theophany (Baptism of the Lord). No. Because fasting is allowed the day after the completion of the Divine Liturgy.
If we consider the norm of the Typicon on the environment and the heel, then, referring to the 69th Rule of the Holy Apostles, she equated fasting on Wednesday and Friday with the days of Great Lent and allowed eating food in the form of dry eating once a day after 15.00. But dry eating, not complete resolution from fasting.
Of course, in modern realities, the practice of a one-day fast (Wednesday and Friday) has been softened for the laity. If this is not the period of one of the four annual fasts, then you can eat fish and vegetable food with oil; if Wednesday and Friday fall during the period of fasting, then the fish is not eaten on this day.
But the main thing, dear brothers and sisters, is for us to remember that sincerely and heartily we must go deep into the memory of the day on Wednesday and Friday. Wednesday - a betrayal by a man of his God the Savior; Friday is the day of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. And if, on the advice of the holy fathers, in the midst of the turbulent bustle of life, we make a prayer stop on Wednesday and Friday for five, ten minutes, for an hour, for as long as we can, and think: “Stop, today Christ suffered and died for me,” then the very This remembrance, combined with prudent fasting, will beneficially and salutarily affect the soul of each of us.
Newly baptized believers ask many questions regarding church life. They are especially concerned about how to fast on Wednesday and Friday. 'Cause for most it's brand new life experience. Many do not understand why additional abstinence in food is needed, because there are enough long fasts in the year. But if a person decides to observe two weekly, how to do it right? You will find the answer to these and many other questions in the article.
What is a post
Speaking of church customs, rituals, we should not forget that many of the first were Jews. This religion had well-established traditions, which, according to the strictness of observance, were equated with legal laws. Therefore, the followers of the new teaching decided that it was not worth eradicating customs, it was better to make sure that they smoothly merged into Christianity.
But before delving into the historical aspect, let's figure out why it is generally necessary to fast every Wednesday and Friday. Are there really not enough days in the year for abstinence? After all, in total in Orthodoxy there are 4 multi-day fasts, with a total duration of 180 to 212 days (depending on the duration of Peter's fast, which depends on the date of Easter in a particular year).
- Most of the holy fathers are firmly convinced that abstinence is simply necessary to maintain spiritual health. After all, the devil is cunning, he uses every opportunity to tempt a person, to lead him astray from the path of obedience to God. Fasting is a kind of spiritual practice, it is an exercise for the soul.
- On Wednesday, members of the Christian church remember the betrayal of one of Christ's disciples, namely Judas. Friday is dedicated to the Crucifixion of the Savior.
Many parishioners are overly focused on what to eat and what not to eat.
But these days, one should not only exclude certain foods from the diet, but also avoid sinful acts:
- avoid overeating;
- refrain from unkind thoughts;
- do not speak evil words;
- do not do bad deeds;
- It's time to start the sacrament of repentance.
This aspect is much more important than eating certain foods. After all, a person consists not only of the body, it has a spiritual, divine beginning. Only for many, life is subject to the dictates of the flesh and passes in search of pleasure. It is the weekly fast that is one of the tools for spiritual growth. It allows the Christian to restore the correct hierarchy - the spirit must rise above the body.
The tradition of fasting
According to the records of the church historian Tertullian (lived in the 3rd century), fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays was denoted by a word that means "military guard". This is not without reason - the author compared Christians with the soldiers of the Lord. According to the treatise, abstinence in food lasted until the 9th hour (according to modern time - up to 15 hours). These days of worship were special.
The choice of time is not accidental - it was at 9 o'clock on the Cross that he died, according to the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 27, verses 45-46). In ancient times, people completely refused not only food, but they did not even take water. Today, the rules have changed somewhat, believers fast throughout the day, refusing some products. Christians of the first centuries brought all the products that they did not eat these days to their bishop. The priest gave them to those who were in need.
If in our time the tradition of fast days is quite well-established, then at first it was a voluntary choice of the believer. But even then, fasting ended with the acceptance of Communion. True, sacred gifts were kept at each house. Gradually, Wednesday and Friday became meeting days, when believers studied the Holy Scriptures together.
Already in the 4th century, St. Epiphanius writes that Wednesday and Friday are obligatory fast days, along with forty days. Those who ignore them oppose themselves, because they fasted, showing us an example. In the 5th century, the Apostolic Rules were written, according to which abstinence is mandatory for everyone - both clergy and laity, the punishment for non-fulfillment is excommunication from the church and deprivation of the holy dignity.
How to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays
Worldly vanity, intemperance in food, drunkenness, harm human soul. A Christian needs to awaken in himself the will to do good, using the practice of abstinence. What they eat on Wednesdays and Fridays depends on the severity of a certain period church year. At any time you need to exclude meat and dairy products:
There is a stricter degree of abstinence when fish products are also prohibited, vegetable oil and all food that is boiled or fried. Such a fast is called dry eating, during this period a limited number of products are allowed:
- nuts;
- dried fruits;
- fresh as well as pickled and pickled vegetables;
- bread;
- greenery.
To know exactly how to fast on Wednesday and Friday, you should purchase church calendar. The dates and the degree of abstinence are indicated there.
Who does not need to fast
If the believer has health problems, concessions are possible. You need to tell your doctor about your faith, he will tell you what degree of fasting will not harm the body. Pregnant women, the elderly, manual workers, military personnel, athletes during the training camp, children under 7 years of age may not fast.
If in doubt, you should consult with your confessor about how you personally observe weekly fasts. Also, several times a year they are canceled for everyone, during those periods when the so-called continuous weeks pass:
- After the Nativity of Christ (Svyatki);
- Before the start of Great Lent (14 days in advance, on the week of the Publican and the Pharisee);
- Everyone's favorite Maslenitsa (also before Lent, only meat is excluded from the diet, you can eat other food of animal origin);
- Bright Week (immediately after Easter);
- Trinity week (after the feast of the Trinity).
There are also indications of this in church calendars.
Lenten Recipes
Although on Wednesdays and Fridays you can’t eat meat, sausages, you can still cook a lot of different salads and soups. If fish is allowed, then it serves as the main dish. It can be stewed, fried, baked. But if oil and fish are forbidden, then you have to show imagination.
As you can see, even on days of strict abstinence, you can eat tasty and varied.
The spiritual meaning of fasting
It is sad that many today see the rejection of certain foods as an end in itself, brag about their successes. Worst of all, when a person, exhausted by an unbearable hunger strike, begins to break down on others. Many spiritual fathers warn about such consequences of immoderate zeal. If a believer does not adhere to strict rules, it is better to deviate from them a little than to allow yourself to yell at your neighbor.
The purpose of any fast is to acquire spiritual perfection. A purified, light body ceases to be a hindrance to lofty thoughts and feelings. A full stomach no longer interferes with praying, perceiving God's grace. Food abstinence should help in spiritual matters, and not deprive a person of the ability to enjoy life.
A Christian has two spiritual tools - prayer and fasting, one without the other cannot be complete. The apostle Matthew wrote about this in chapter 17 of his Gospel. He himself urged believers to fight demons with the help of these means. Therefore, refusing meat, do not refuse prayer, do works of mercy, be kind to others. Then fasting will become an important step in spiritual growth.
Lots of daily posts. They differ in the strictness of compliance and are not always associated with a specific calendar date. The most famous of them are on Wednesdays and Fridays every week, on the day of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, on the day before the Baptism of the Lord, on the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist.
There are also one-day fasts associated with the commemoration of famous saints. These fasts are not strict unless they are on Wednesday and Friday. On such one-day fasts, one cannot eat fish, but food with vegetable oil is allowed.
Special posts may be appointed by the church in connection with some kind of misfortune or public calamity - an epidemic, war, terrorist act, etc.
One-day fasts precede the sacrament of communion.
Post on Wednesdays and Fridays
On Wednesday, according to the Gospel, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ, and on Friday Christ suffered on the cross and died. In memory of these events, the Orthodox Church established fasts on Wednesdays and Fridays every week. The exception is continuous weeks, or weeks, during which existing restrictions These two days do not apply. Such weeks are Christmas time (January 7-18), Publican and Pharisee, Cheese, Easter and Trinity (the first week after the Trinity).
Fasting on Fridays is the most ancient and widespread custom, dating back to the 1st century AD. e.
On Wednesdays and Fridays, you can not eat meat and dairy foods, as well as eggs. Many especially pious Christians do not allow themselves to eat these days even fish and vegetable oil, that is, they switch to dry eating. The weakening of the fast on Wednesdays and Fridays can only be if this day falls on the feast of a particularly glorified saint, to whose memory a special church service is dedicated.
In the period from the week of All Saints to the Nativity of Christ, one should also abstain from fish and vegetable oil. If the days of celebrated saints fall on Wednesday or Friday, vegetable oil can be eaten. On major holidays - such as Pokrov - it is allowed to eat fish.
Fasting on the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
This day falls on September 14 (27). The holiday was established in honor of the memory of the acquisition of the Cross of the Lord. This event took place in the 4th century. According to legend, the emperor of the Byzantine Empire, Constantine the Great, won many victories thanks to the Cross of the Lord and therefore revered this symbol. Expressing gratitude to God for the consent of the church at the First Ecumenical Council, he decided to build a temple on Golgotha. Elena, the mother of the emperor, went to Jerusalem in 326 to find the Cross of the Lord.
According to the then-existing custom, crosses, as instruments of execution, were buried near the place of execution. Soon 3 crosses were found on Golgotha. It was difficult to know which of them was the Lord's, since a tablet with the inscription: "Jesus of Nazarene, King of the Jews" was found separately from all the crosses. As a result, the Cross of the Lord was determined by the power that manifested itself in the healing of a sick woman and the resurrection of a person from touching this cross.
According to statistics, most of the monks are long-lived. Perhaps the reason for this is in the diet that they follow.
The fame of the miracles of the Cross of the Lord also attracted many people, that because of the tightness, many could not only approach and kiss, but even see him. Then Patriarch Macarius stood on an elevated place and raised the cross, showing it to all who were in the distance. This is how the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross arose.
The holiday was timed to coincide with the day of the consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, which took place on September 13, 335, and began to be celebrated the next day, September 14.
In 614, the Persian king Khosra took possession of Jerusalem and removed the shrine from there. In 328 Khozroy's successor, Syroes, returned the stolen Cross of the Lord to Jerusalem. This happened on September 14, so this day is a double holiday - the Exaltation and the Finding of the Cross of the Lord.
On this day you can not eat cheese, eggs and fish. This is how Orthodox believers express their reverence for the Cross.
Protestants do not have fixed calendar fasts. The question of the time and duration of fasting is decided individually.
Fasting on the Eve of the Epiphany
The Baptism of the Lord takes place on January 5 (18). According to the Gospel, when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove, which was witnessed by John the Baptist. He also heard the voice of God saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Thus, John testified that Jesus is the Messiah, that is, Christ is the anointed of God.
On the eve of the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, a vigil is held in the temple, during which consecration by sprinkling and drinking of holy water takes place. In connection with this church charter, fasting was established. During this fast, you can eat 1 time per day and only juicy and kutya with honey. Thanks to such a menu, the eve of Epiphany is popularly called Christmas Eve (novel). If the evening falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the fast on that day is not canceled, but is facilitated. On such a day, they eat 2 times - after the liturgy and after the blessing of water.
For modern Catholics, fasting is as easy as possible. It is allowed to consume eggs and milk, it is allowed to eat 1-2 hours before communion.
Fasting on the day of the Beheading of John the Forerunner
This day is celebrated on August 29 (September 11). It was installed in memory of the death of John, who was the Forerunner of the Savior. According to the Gospel, John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod Antipas for denouncing him for cohabitation with Herodias, the wife of Philip, sibling Herod.
On the day of his birth, Herod arranged a feast at which Salome, the daughter of Herodias, danced so skillfully that the king liked it.
Very often, doctors ignore the facts recorded by statistics: many peoples and tribes that eat mainly plant foods are distinguished by special endurance and longevity.
He promised to give her everything for the dance that the girl wishes. The mother persuaded her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist as a reward. The king fulfilled his promise by sending a warrior to the prisoner to cut off his head.