Lent: food calendar by day. Orthodox church calendar
The Church does not put forward clear requirements according to which every believer must observe Orthodox fasts in 2017. Cleansing occurs at the request of a person, according to his spiritual mood. You should also not neglect the advice of a doctor. Church rules allow for relaxations in fasting if there are appropriate medical indications for this. The gentle requirements for fasting apply to pregnant women, nursing mothers and children. Before the beginning of the fast, you should turn to the priest for a blessing.
The church calendar allocates 40 days for a special period. These days, believing Christians are rethinking life and realizing their own sins and shortcomings. Strict fasting is aimed at cleansing the soul and body of a person and ends with the brightest and most joyful holiday - Easter.
For an Orthodox Christian, Great Lent does not begin abruptly, on a specific date. Three weeks before the start of restrictions are preparatory. The first week, any meat dishes are consumed, but low-fat ones are preferred. In the second preparatory week, meat days alternate with fish days. In the third week they do not eat meat, fish, eggs, sour cream, cheese and any other dairy products are allowed. Thus, the human body gradually gets used to the new diet and does not get stressed.
The first and last weeks in the calendar are very strict.
For all 40 days, the use of animal products is prohibited: meat, lard, eggs, dairy products, sausages, etc. Three days a week, only cold food cooked without oil is allowed. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, hot meals without oil are allowed. On weekends and any days that fall on holidays, it is allowed to cook hot dishes with fish and butter, and wine is allowed in small quantities. In 2017, fish is allowed on April 7, 8, 9 and 14.
Petrov post (June 27 - July 11)
Also known as the Apostolic Lent, it begins 7 days after Trinity. Not a strict period in the church calendar, dedicated to the holy apostles Peter and Paul. On summer days, there are a lot of fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs, changes in the diet are easily tolerated. Allowed dishes in the Orthodox calendar:
- Monday. Hot (boiled, fried, stewed, baked) dishes prepared without oil.
- Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. hot dishes boiled, fried, stewed, baked, fish in any form, mushrooms, vegetable oil is allowed.
- Wednesday, Friday: bread, any plant food (not cooked), non-hot drinks.
Dormition Fast (August 14 - 27)
It lasts two weeks and is dedicated to the Great Feast - the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Markedly different from any tribulation period. The Assumption Fast is a two-week period of rebirth, reflection on what needs to be shaken off and left in the past in order to be reborn. Fasting imposes strict restrictions:
- Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Dry period. It is forbidden to eat any food that has undergone heat treatment. This applies not only to food, but also to drinks. Tea, coffee, compotes, etc. are excluded. Fresh, dried (dried apricots, raisins, etc.), soaked (apples, cabbage, etc.) vegetables and fruits, bread are allowed.
- Tuesday and Thursday. Hot food cooked without oil, bread, hot drinks are allowed.
- Saturday and Sunday. The calendar defines these days as relaxation. Allowed hot food with the addition of butter, bread, hot drinks and wine.
Advent (November 28 - January 6)
Time of spiritual and bodily cleansing, preparation for the holiday. The main purpose of the restrictions is internal improvement, removal from addictions, entertainment events and the use of modest food. The requirements are the same as in the Apostolic Lent, not a strict period. Any meat and dairy dishes, eggs, sausages, etc. are completely removed from the diet. On weekends and Great holidays, fish, vegetable oil and wine are allowed.
Menu for Orthodox Lent
The fasting calendar defines long periods for which significant food restrictions are imposed. It seems that by eliminating animal products, there is nothing more tasty left. However, there are many recipes and dishes allowed in fasting.
On some days, when hot cooked food and butter are allowed, you can especially diversify the menu.
- Legumes. They are a source of protein for the body. Peas, lentils, and beans are frequent guests on the tables of believers who keep fast. You can cook cereals, thick soups with vegetables. You should pay attention to the recipes for vegetarian pea sausage, which is prepared without meat, but does not differ in taste from the store-bought “meat”.
- Mushrooms. Definitely recommended for inclusion in the diet. A good substitute for meat and fish. On days when the calendar allows hot food, soups, mushroom caviar, fried mushrooms with onions, stewed vegetables or baked porridge with mushrooms are prepared. When only cold food is allowed, salted mushrooms are used if they have not been boiled beforehand.
- Cereals. Basically, each family includes 2-3 cereals in their diet. It is worth taking a closer look at the shelves in the store, there are many healthy and tasty cereals that diversify the daily Lenten menu. The most common cereals: buckwheat, rice, millet, semolina, wheat, barley, corn, oatmeal, etc.
- Vegetables and fruits. In raw and dried form are allowed on any day. There are also no restrictions on salted vegetables and fruits: sauerkraut, pickled apples, pickled barrel cucumbers and tomatoes, marinated vegetables “in Korean” if they are cooked without oil. On other days, plant foods are the basis for more complex meals. Vegetable stews, mashed potatoes, caviar, etc. are prepared for fasting.
- Fish. As a rule, the calendar allows fish dishes on the same days as vegetable oil, and this opens up a lot of room for culinary ideas. Fried fish, baked in a sleeve, in foil or pots, stewed with vegetables, boiled or steamed, fish soups and pies.
- Bread. Black (rye) bread is allowed on any day. Other bakery products, especially rich pastries, are prohibited. You can cook bread or lean pies with cabbage, mushrooms, beans, apples, etc. yourself.
- Sweets. In principle, sweets and cakes, even vegetarian ones, are not welcome. You can use honey and natural caramel.
Marriage during Lent
The Orthodox calendar has some requirements for weddings. The bride and groom are often guided by beautiful numbers. In 2017, astrologers recommend choosing a wedding date that includes ones, twos, and sevens. Church rules determine the best time for a wedding from January 20 to March 7, May 8. You can’t get married during fasting, with the exception of the days: April 7 and 9, July 7 and August 19. Also, the wedding is not held before the Great Church holidays.
It is better to discuss the chosen dates for the wedding with the priest in advance.
Traditionally and according to the church, autumn is considered a favorable time for weddings. When the calendar shows the end of the harvest, you can think about arranging a personal life and a fun wedding.
Folk signs against weddings in January, March and October. Couples who marry during this period face great trials. An April wedding will lead to a married life full of loud and stormy showdowns. A May marriage will not bring peace, and a wedding in July will bring many troubles and joys. According to the signs and customs of our ancestors, weddings should be played in February, June, August, September or December.
It should be remembered that the observance of Orthodox fasting is not a fashionable diet, but restrictions that affect all spheres of human life. Fasting in 2017, especially Strict, imposes a ban on the consumption of alcoholic beverages, smoking, parties, concerts and entertainment performances, and marital abstinence is recommended.
Fasting is an integral part of the Christian faith. This is a voluntary renunciation of spiritual and bodily saturation. In other words, abstinence. At such a time, a person restricts himself in pleasures, amusements, food and drink for the sake of prayer and charitable deeds. In Orthodox Christianity, fasting times are equated with holidays. Sometimes the number of fasting days reaches two hundred.
Basic information
Every year, all believing Christians observe 4 multi-day and 3 one-day fasts. All alone are equated with the great celebrations of the church. Also, the tradition of fasting on Fridays and Wednesdays has been preserved to our time. The exception was the days of continuous weeks, when you can’t limit yourself from food.
A modest diet is considered an important component of any fast, although against the background of spiritual purification, this is only a kind of addition to complete harmony with oneself. At the same time, very often the transition to eating more modest food improves human health. It should be remembered that during any fast, without exception, it is forbidden to eat food of animal origin: meat, fish and eggs. In no case should you use dairy products: sour cream, kefir, butter, fermented baked milk and the like. Also, during fasting, you can not eat fatty desserts, fast food and sweet pastries. It is also a good idea to limit the use of salt, spices in dishes and sugar. But alcohol in the form of unfortified wine is allowed only on Saturdays and Sundays, or on the days of memory of saints.
Also in the calendar, you can mark such a diet as dry eating. 
This means that a person must refuse any food that has previously undergone heat treatment. Most often, such a diet includes bread, dried fruits, honey, nuts, raw fruits and vegetables. Usually, dry eating is used during fasting only by Old Believers and monks. In the world, such abstinence is inherent in priests.
The period of rest between fasts is called meat-eaters and it is better to know in advance what date it begins. During this time, food of animal origin is allowed. A person needs a meat-eater in a mandatory manner so that the body can restore the necessary level of protein in the body, and the most important vitamins. True, you should not be too fanatical about it, and at any suitable opportunity to engage in gluttony. After abstinence, a sharp overeating of fatty and sweet foods can lead to a sharp jump in blood sugar.
Post Calendar
Great Lent - 27.02-15.04
The most important post in 2017 for all Christians. It precedes the Easter holiday and honors the memory of Jesus Christ. On weekdays, food can be taken only once a day, cold (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) or warm (Thursday, Tuesday). On weekends, you can eat twice a day and even drink unfortified wine. Such strict rules of abstinence must be especially carefully observed in the first and last week of this fast. On February 27, as well as on April 14 and 15, eating is not allowed at all. If you can't fast for health reasons, you should just eat only vegetables, nuts, and raw fruits. 
Hot meals with butter can only be consumed on the days of the memory of the great saints, which usually fall on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday. If such holidays fall on Wednesday or Thursday, you should not add oil to food, although you can drink wine. But fish can be eaten on April 7 on the day of the Annunciation, and on April 9, when Palm Sunday takes place in 2017.
1. Monday - dry eating.
3. Wednesday - dry eating.
5. Friday - dry eating.
Petrov post - 12.06-11.07
The main difference between Petrovsky Lent and the Great Lent is the possibility of eating fish. This post is dedicated to the memory of Peter and Paul, two disciples of Christ. The abstinence period should begin 7 days after Trinity, while the food itself will no longer be as strict as during Lent. For example, on Monday you can use hot food with butter. On the birthday of Ion the Baptist on June 7, you can add fish to the diet. It is better to serve seafood to the table in boiled, baked or stewed form. But the church strictly prohibits fried fish. On weekends you can drink some wine.
2. Tuesday - fish dishes.
3. Wednesday - dry eating.
4. Thursday - fish dishes.
5. Friday - dry eating.
6. Saturday - fish dishes.
This post was established by the church in honor of the Virgin Mary. In 2017, believers will honor the memory of this saint through a restriction in food and entertainment. During the two-week fast, the diet is quite simple. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, only cold dry food is allowed, while on all other days hot food without oil is allowed.
August 19 - the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord is considered a fish day. This day is called the Savior, of which there are only 3 in the Orthodox calendar.
1. August 14 - Honey Savior or the Origin of the Cross of the Lord. On this day, the products of apiaries are consecrated in the church, which can be freely consumed on this day.
2. August 19 - Apple Spas or the Transfiguration of the Lord. On this holiday, fruits are brought to the church, which must be in the diet.
1. Monday - dry eating.
2. Tuesday - hot food without oil added.
3. Wednesday - dry eating.
4. Thursday - hot food without oil.
5. Friday - dry eating.
6. Saturday - hot food with butter.
7. Sunday - hot food with butter.
Christmas post - 28.11-06.01
The winter fast coincides with the feast of the Nativity of Jesus Christ. The period of prolonged abstinence begins on Philip's day and ends on bright Christmas Eve. In the first week of Lent, the menu completely coincides with Petrovsky Lent. True, fish at this time is strictly prohibited.
December 4 marks the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos - a great holiday, in honor of which we can serve fish dishes, hot food with butter and wine. After Nicholas, fish is again excluded from the diet. But after the meeting of the New Year 2017, oil can be added to food only on weekends. On January 6, it is worth abstaining from food throughout the day, until the first star appears in the sky. On this day, it is better to pray and drink water. Kutya is usually prepared for a festive dinner, and uzvar is used as a drink. 
1. Monday - hot food without oil added.
2. Tuesday - fish dishes.
3. Wednesday - dry eating.
4. Thursday - fish dishes.
5. Friday - dry eating.
6. Saturday - fish dishes.
7. Sunday - fish dishes.
1. Monday - hot food without oil added.
2. Tuesday - hot food with butter.
3. Wednesday - dry eating.
4. Thursday - hot food with butter.
5. Friday - dry eating.
6. Saturday - fish dishes.
7. Sunday - fish dishes.
January 2 to January 6
1. Monday - dry eating. 
2. Tuesday - hot food without oil added.
3. Wednesday - dry eating.
4. Thursday - hot food without oil.
5. Friday - dry eating.
6. Saturday - hot food with butter.
7. Sunday - hot food with butter.
Post on Wednesdays and Fridays
Both Wednesday and Friday are considered weekly one-day fasts. Refraining from food on Wednesday is timed to coincide with the betrayal of Christ by Judas, and on Fridays people commemorate the torment of Christ on the cross. These days it is strictly forbidden to eat any food of animal origin. If on any of these days the day of remembrance of some saint falls, then the ban on eating food with vegetable oil is lifted. On the largest Christian holidays, you can also add fish to the diet. Another restriction regarding food is removed during the Solid Weeks:
- January 7-18 - the period of Christmas holidays;
- February 6-12 - Week of the Publican and the Pharisee;
- February 20-26 - Maslenitsa or Cheese week, when you can not eat meat;
- April 17-23 - Bright or Easter week;
- June 5-11 - Trinity week.
One day posts
In the Orthodox calendar, there are an additional 3 holidays when you also need to fast. Believers at this time should not eat food of animal origin and fish. But hot food with vegetable oil is allowed.
1. January 18 - Christmas Eve before Epiphany. On this day, you should prepare for the upcoming holiday, do not eat or drink until the candle is taken out of the church after the morning liturgy. On this day, it is also customary to cook kutya and uzvar. All other dishes on the table must necessarily be lean, while their total number must be equal to seven, nine or twelve.
2. September 11 - Beheading of John the Baptist. On this day in 2017, all Orthodox commemorate the death of John the Baptist, who was beheaded by order of King Herod. On this day, nothing can be cut, so any dish should be prepared in advance. Also, do not put food in a round dish on the table. Usually these days they prefer to eat pies, oatmeal jelly and mushroom soup.
3. September 27 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross. On this day, Christians around the world commemorate Jesus Christ, who was tortured on the cross. Also during this time of 2017, it is forbidden to eat food of animal origin. 
It is worth noting that there are some groups of believers for whom the prohibitions during fasting can be slightly relaxed. These are pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under the age of 14. Also, the elderly and sick people, as well as all those who are engaged in hard physical labor, can count on relief. True, before this, you should still talk with your spiritual mentor in advance.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that mainly fasting is aimed at repentance and humility, so even if you cannot refuse some food, just pray. Trust me, you will always be heard.
merry ends Maslenitsa, and after it comes a very important time for Orthodox Christians - great post, which is designed to help believers cleanse themselves spiritually and bodily, in order to be worthy of the most important holiday - Happy Easter.
When does Lent begin and end in 2017?
Lent begins immediately after Forgiveness Sunday(February 26), which ends Shrovetide. Thus, in 2017 Lent begins on Monday, February 27, and ends on Sunday night, April 16, Happy Easter.
The strictest are the first week of Lent and the last, which is called Holy Week (week).
The meaning of Great Lent, who should not fast
Believers are ordered to limit themselves during Great Lent, observing the required prescriptions if possible. But bodily fasting is not an end in itself, and even more so - not a diet. This is a time of spiritual rebirth and purification, so it is important not only not to eat fast, but also to devote time to prayer, keep the mind clean, do charity work, etc. The Church also recommends during this period to refrain from carnal pleasures, not to attend entertainment events, limit yourself to watching television programs and surfing the Internet.
But concerts of sacred music, visits to museums, reading books, walks and reflections, on the contrary, are welcomed in every possible way.
The dietary strictness in fasting, especially with regard to dairy products, does not apply to children, pregnant and nursing mothers, the elderly, the sick, travelers and prisoners. Nevertheless, spiritual work is required from them no less than from the most strict fasters.
Those who decide to fast for the first time throughout Great Lent are advised to consult a doctor and receive a blessing from a spiritual mentor.
Principles of nutrition in Great Lent
On Clean Monday (the first day of Lent) and Good Friday (until the shroud is taken out), it is customary to completely abstain from food. The rest of the time: Monday, Wednesday, Friday - according to the monastic, that is, the most strict charter, dry eating is prescribed (water, bread, fruits, dried fruits, vegetables, nuts, honey, fruit drinks and compotes); Tuesday, Thursday - hot food without oil; Saturday, Sunday - food with vegetable oil and a little wine.
It is allowed to eat fish on the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (April 7) and on Palm Sunday (April 9). On Lazarus Saturday (April 8) it is allowed to eat caviar.
Great Lent 2017, food calendar by day: first week (week)
Monday, February 27 - total abstinence from food.
Tuesday, February 28 - dry food.
Wednesday, March 1 - dry eating.
Thursday, March 2 - dry eating.
Friday, March 3 - dry eating.
Saturday, March 4 - boiled food with the addition of vegetable oil, wine.
Sunday, March 5 - boiled food with the addition of vegetable oil, wine.
Lent 2017, food calendar by day: second week
Monday, March 6 - dry eating.
Tuesday, March 7 - Boiled vegetable food without oil.
Wednesday, March 8 - dry eating.
Thursday, March 9 - Boiled vegetable food without oil.
Friday, March 10 - dry eating.
Saturday, March 11 - boiled food with the addition of vegetable oil, wine.
Sunday, March 12 - boiled food with the addition of vegetable oil, wine.
Lent 2017, food calendar by day: third week
Monday, March 13 - dry eating.
Tuesday, March 14 - Boiled vegetable food without oil.
Wednesday, March 15 - dry eating.
Thursday, March 16 - Boiled vegetable food without oil.
Friday, March 17 - dry eating.
Saturday, March 18 - boiled food with the addition of vegetable oil, wine.
Sunday, March 19 - boiled food with the addition of vegetable oil, wine.
Lent 2017, food calendar by day: fourth week
Monday, March 20 - dry eating.
Tuesday, March 21 - Boiled vegetable food without oil.
Wednesday, March 22 - dry eating.
Thursday, March 23 - Boiled vegetable food without oil and fish is allowed.
Friday, March 24 - dry eating.
Saturday, March 25 - boiled food with the addition of vegetable oil, wine.
Sunday, March 26 - boiled food with the addition of vegetable oil, wine.
Lent 2017, food calendar by day: fifth week
Monday, March 27 - dry eating.
Tuesday, March 28 - Boiled vegetable food without oil.
Wednesday, March 29 - dry eating.
Thursday, March 30 - Boiled vegetable food without oil.
Friday, March 31 - dry eating.
Saturday, April 1 - boiled food with the addition of vegetable oil, wine.
Sunday, April 2 - boiled food with the addition of vegetable oil, wine.
Lent 2017, food calendar by day: sixth week
Monday, April 3 - dry eating.
Tuesday, April 4 - Boiled vegetable food without oil.
Wednesday, April 5 - dry food.
Thursday, April 6 - Boiled vegetable food without oil.
Friday, April 7 - Annunciation
Saturday, April 8 - Lazarus Saturday, boiled food with the addition of vegetable oil, wine. Fish are allowed.
Sunday, April 9 - Palm Sunday, boiled food with the addition of vegetable oil, wine, fish is allowed.
Great Lent 2017: Seventh (Holy) Week
Monday, April 10 (Holy Monday) - dry eating.
Tuesday, April 11 (Holy Tuesday) - dry food.
Wednesday, April 12 (Holy Wednesday) - dry food.
Thursday, April 13 (Good Thursday) - dry food.
Friday, April 14 (Good Friday) - total abstinence from food.
Saturday, April 15 (Holy Saturday) - dry eating.
Sunday, April 16 (Resurrection of Christ) - Easter, the end of Lent.
The fixed part of the church calendar is the Julian calendar, which is 13 days apart from the Gregorian. These holidays fall every year on the same date of the same month.
The movable part of the church calendar moves along with the date of Easter, which changes from year to year. The very date of the celebration of Easter is determined according to the lunar calendar and a number of additional dogmatic factors (do not celebrate Easter with the Jews, celebrate Easter only after the spring equinox, celebrate Easter only after the first spring full moon). All holidays with variable dates are counted from Easter and move in the time of the "secular" calendar along with it.
Thus, both parts of the Easter calendar (movable and fixed) together determine the calendar of Orthodox holidays.
The following are the most significant events for an Orthodox Christian - the so-called Twelfth Feasts and Great Feasts. Although the Orthodox Church celebrates holidays according to the "old style", which differs by 13 days, the dates in the Calendar for convenience are indicated according to the generally accepted secular calendar of the new style.
Orthodox calendar for 2017:
Permanent Holidays:07.01 - Christmas (twelfth)
14.01 - Circumcision of the Lord (great)
19.01 - The baptism of the Lord (twelfth)
02.15 - Meeting of the Lord (twelfth)
07.04 - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (twelfth)
May 21 - Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
May 22 - St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra of Lycia, Wonderworker
07.07 - Nativity of John the Baptist (great)
12.07 - Holy First. Apostles Peter and Paul (great)
19.08 - Transfiguration of the Lord (twelfth)
28.08 - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (twelfth)
11.09 - Beheading of John the Baptist (great)
21.09 - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (twelfth)
September 27 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross (twelfth)
09.10 - Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
14.10 - Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos (great)
04.12 - Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos (twelfth)
December 19 - St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra of Lycia, miracle worker
Days of Special Remembrance for the Dead
02/18/2017 - Ecumenical parental Saturday (Saturday before the week of the Last Judgment)
03/11/2017 - Ecumenical parental Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent
03/18/2017 - Ecumenical parental Saturday of the 3rd week of Great Lent
03/25/2017 - Ecumenical parental Saturday of the 4th week of Great Lent
04/25/2017 - Radonitsa (Tuesday of the 2nd week of Easter)
05/09/2017 - Commemoration of the deceased soldiers
06/03/2017 - Trinity Parental Saturday (Saturday before Trinity)
10/28/2017 - Dmitrievskaya parent Saturday (Saturday before November 8)
ABOUT ORTHODOX HOLIDAYS:
TWENTH HOLIDAYS
In worship Orthodox Church twelve great feasts of the annual liturgical cycle (except for the feast of Pascha). Subdivided into Lord's, dedicated to Jesus Christ, and Theotokos, dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos.
According to the time of celebration, the Twelfth Feasts divided into motionless(non-passing) and mobile(passing). The former are constantly celebrated on the same dates of the month, the latter fall on different numbers every year, depending on the date of the celebration. Easter.
ABOUT MEAL ON HOLIDAYS:
According to the church charter on holidays Christmas And Epiphany that happened on Wednesday and Friday, there is no post.
IN Christmas And Epiphany Christmas Eve and on holidays Exaltation of the Holy Cross And The Beheading of John the Baptist food with vegetable oil is allowed.
On the feasts of the Presentation, the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Assumption, the Nativity and Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Nativity of John the Baptist, the Apostles Peter and Paul, John the Theologian, which happened on Wednesday and Friday, as well as in the period from Easter before Trinity fish is allowed on Wednesday and Friday.
ABOUT LOSTS IN ORTHODOXY:
Fast- a form of religious asceticism, an exercise of the spirit, soul and body on the path to salvation within the framework of a religious outlook; voluntary self-restraint in food, entertainment, communication with the world. bodily fasting- restriction in food; spiritual post- restriction of external impressions and pleasures (solitude, silence, prayerful concentration); spiritual post- the struggle with their "corporal lusts", a period of especially intense prayer.
Most importantly, you need to be aware that bodily fasting without spiritual fasting brings nothing to save the soul. On the contrary, it can be spiritually harmful if a person, abstaining from food, becomes imbued with the consciousness of his own superiority and righteousness. “The one who thinks that fasting is only abstaining from food is mistaken. true post, - teaches St. John Chrysostom, - there is a removal from evil, curbing the tongue, putting off anger, taming lusts, ending slander, lies and perjury. Fast- not a goal, but a means to distract from the pleasure of your body, to concentrate and think about your soul; without all this, it becomes just a diet.
Great Lent, Holy Forty Day(Greek Tessarakoste; Lat. Quadragesima) - the period of the liturgical year preceding Holy Week And Easter, the most important of multi-day posts. Due to Easter may fall on different numbers of the calendar, great post also each year starts on a different date. It includes 6 weeks, or 40 days, therefore it is also called St. Forty-cost.
Fast for an Orthodox person is a set of good deeds, sincere prayer, abstinence in everything, including food. A bodily fast is necessary to perform a spiritual and spiritual fast, all of them in their union form post true, contributing to the spiritual reunion of fasting with God. IN days of fasting(days of fasting) the Church Charter prohibits modest food - meat and dairy products; fish is allowed only on some fast days. IN days of strict fasting not only fish is not allowed, but any hot food and food cooked in vegetable oil, only cold food without oil and unheated drink (sometimes called dry eating). The Russian Orthodox Church has four multi-day fasts, three one-day fasts, and, in addition, a fast on Wednesday and Friday (excluding special weeks) throughout the year.
Wednesday and Friday established as a sign that on Wednesday Christ was betrayed by Judas, and on Friday he was crucified. Saint Athanasius the Great said: "Allowing me to eat fast food on Wednesday and Friday, this person crucifies the Lord." In the summer and autumn meat-eaters (periods between the Petrov and Assumption fasts and between the Assumption and Rozhdestvensky fasts), Wednesday and Friday are days of strict fasting. In winter and spring meat-eaters (from Christmas to Great Lent and from Easter to Trinity), the Charter allows fish on Wednesday and Friday. Fish on Wednesday and Friday is also allowed when the feasts of the Meeting of the Lord, the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Nativity of the Virgin, the Entrance of the Virgin into the Temple, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of John the Baptist, the Apostles Peter and Paul, the Apostle John the Theologian. If the holidays of the Nativity of Christ and the Baptism of the Lord fall on Wednesday and Friday, then fasting on these days is canceled. On the eve (eve, Christmas Eve) of the Nativity of Christ (usually the day of strict fasting), which happened on Saturday or Sunday, food with vegetable oil is allowed.
Solid weeks(in Church Slavonic a week is called a week - the days from Monday to Sunday) mean the absence of fasting on Wednesday and Friday. They were established by the Church as an indulgence before a multi-day fast or as a rest after it. Solid weeks are as follows:
1. Christmas time - from January 7 to 18 (11 days), from Christmas to Epiphany.
2. Publican and Pharisee - two weeks before Lent.
3. Cheese - a week before Lent (allowed the whole week of eggs, fish and dairy, but without meat).
4. Easter (Bright) - a week after Easter.
5. Trinity - a week after the Trinity (week before Peter's fast).
One day posts, except Wednesday and Friday (days of strict fasting, without fish, but food with vegetable oil is allowed):
1. Epiphany Christmas Eve (Eve of Theophany) January 18, the day before the feast of the Epiphany. On this day, believers prepare themselves for the acceptance of the great shrine - Agiasma - baptismal Holy water, for purification and consecration by it at the upcoming holiday.
2. The beheading of John the Baptist - September 11. On this day, a fast is established in memory of the abstemious life of the great prophet John and his lawless murder by Herod.
3. Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 27. This day reminds us of the sad event on Golgotha, when the Savior of the human race suffered on the Cross "for our salvation". And therefore this day must be spent in prayer, fasting, contrition for sins, in a feeling of repentance.
MULTI-DAY POSTS:
1. Great Lent or Holy Forty Day.
It begins seven weeks before the feast of Holy Pascha and consists of Forty days (forty days) and Holy Week (the week leading up to Pascha). Forty days was established in honor of the forty-day fast of the Savior Himself, and Holy Week - in remembrance of the last days of earthly life, suffering, death and burial of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The total continuation of Great Lent along with Holy Week is 48 days.
The days from the Nativity of Christ to Great Lent (until Shrovetide) are called the Christmas or winter meat-eater. This period contains three continuous weeks - Christmas time, Publican and Pharisee, Shrove Tuesday. After Christmas time on Wednesdays and Fridays, fish is allowed, up to a continuous week (when you can eat meat on all days of the week), coming after the "Week of the publican and the Pharisee" ("week" in Church Slavonic means "Sunday"). In the next, after a continuous week, fish is no longer allowed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but vegetable oil is still allowed. Monday - food with oil, Wednesday, Friday - cold without oil. This establishment has the goal of gradual preparation for Great Lent. The last time before fasting, meat is allowed on the "Meat Week" - the Sunday before Shrovetide.
In the next week - cheese (Shrovetide) eggs, fish, dairy products are allowed all week, but meat is no longer eaten. They head for Great Lent (the last time they eat fast, with the exception of meat, food) on the last day of Shrovetide - Forgiveness Sunday. This day is also called "Cheesefare Week".
It is accepted with special strictness to observe the first and Holy Weeks of Great Lent. On Monday of the first week of fasting (Clean Monday), the highest degree of fasting is established - complete abstinence from food (pious lay people who have ascetic experience abstain from food on Tuesday as well). On the remaining weeks of fasting: on Monday, Wednesday and Friday - cold food without oil, Tuesday, Thursday - hot food without oil (vegetable, cereal, mushroom), on Saturday and Sunday vegetable oil is allowed and, if necessary for health, a little pure grape wine (but in no case vodka). If a memory of a great saint happens (with an all-night vigil or a polyeleos service the day before), then on Tuesday and Thursday - food with vegetable oil, Monday, Wednesday, Friday - hot food without oil. You can inquire about the holidays in the Typicon or the Followed Psalter. Fish is allowed twice for the entire fast: on the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (if the holiday did not fall on Holy Week) and on Palm Sunday, on Lazarus Saturday (the Saturday before Palm Sunday) fish caviar is allowed, on Friday of Holy Week it is customary not to eat any food before taking out shrouds (our ancestors did not eat at all on Good Friday).
Bright Week (the week after Easter) - solid - modest is allowed on all days of the week. Starting from the next week after the solid up to the Trinity (spring meat-eater), fish is allowed on Wednesdays and Fridays. The week between Trinity and Peter's Lent is continuous.
2. Petrov or Apostolic post.
Fasting begins a week after the feast of the Holy Trinity and ends on July 12, on the day of the celebration of the memory of the holy apostles Peter and Paul, established in honor of the holy apostles and in remembrance of the fact that the holy apostles, after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them, dispersed to all countries with the good news, always abiding in the feat of fasting and prayer. The duration of this fast in different years is different and depends on the day of the celebration of Easter. The shortest post lasts 8 days, the longest - 6 weeks. Fish in this post is allowed, except Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Monday - hot food without oil, Wednesday and Friday - strict fast (cold food without oil). On other days - fish, cereals, mushroom dishes with vegetable oil. If the memory of a great saint happens on Monday, Wednesday or Friday - hot food with butter. On the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist (July 7), according to the Charter, fish is allowed.
In the period from the end of the Petrov fast to the beginning of the Assumption fast (summer meat-eater), Wednesday and Friday are days of strict fasting. But if the holidays of a great saint fall on these days with an all-night vigil or a polyeleos service the day before, then food with vegetable oil is allowed. If temple holidays occur on Wednesday and Friday, then fish is also allowed.
3. Assumption fast (from August 14 to 27).
Established in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mother of God herself, preparing to depart into eternal life, constantly fasted and prayed. We, the spiritually weak and weak, all the more should resort to fasting as often as possible, turning to the Blessed Virgin for help in every need and sorrow. This fast lasts only two weeks, but in severity it is consistent with the Great. Fish is allowed only on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19), and if the end of the fast (Assumption) falls on Wednesday or Friday, then this day is also fish. Monday, Wednesday, Friday - cold food without oil, Tuesday and Thursday - hot food without oil, Saturday and Sunday - food with vegetable oil. Wine is prohibited on all days. If the memory of a great saint happens, then on Tuesday and Thursday - hot food with butter, Monday, Wednesday, Friday - hot food without butter.
The charter about food on Wednesdays and Fridays in the period from the end of the Dormition Fast to the beginning of the Christmas (autumn meat-eater) is the same as in the summer meat-eater, that is, on Wednesdays and Fridays, fish is allowed only on the days of the Twelfth and Temple holidays. Food with vegetable oil on Wednesday and Friday is allowed only if these days fall in memory of the great saint with an all-night vigil or with a polyeleos service the day before.
4. Christmas (Filippov) fast (from November 28 to January 6).
This fast is set for the day of the Nativity of Christ, so that we purify ourselves at this time by repentance, prayer and fasting and with a pure heart meet the Savior who has appeared in the world. Sometimes this fast is called Filippov, as a sign that it begins after the day of celebration of the memory of the Apostle Philip (November 27). The charter on food during this fast coincides with the charter of Peter's fast until the day of St. Nicholas (December 19). If the feasts of the Entrance into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos (December 4) and St. Nicholas fall on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday, then fish is allowed. From the day of memory of St. Nicholas to the pre-feast of Christmas, which begins on January 2, fish is allowed only on Saturday and Sunday. On the feast of the Nativity of Christ, fasting is observed in the same way as on the days of Great Lent: fish is forbidden on all days, food with butter is allowed only on Saturday and Sunday. On Christmas Eve (Christmas Eve), January 6, a pious custom requires not to eat food until the first evening star appears, after which it is customary to eat kolivo or sochivo - wheat grains boiled in honey or boiled rice with raisins, in some areas boiled dry fruits with sugar. From the word "sochivo" comes the name of this day - Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is also before the feast of the Epiphany. On this day (January 18) it is also customary not to eat food until the adoption of Agiasma - baptismal holy water, which they begin to consecrate on the very day of Christmas Eve.
Great post (forty-day) - a central post in all historical churches and many Protestant denominations, the purpose of which is to prepare a Christian for the celebration of Easter; also the corresponding period of the liturgical year, marked in the service by prayers of repentance and remembrance of the death on the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Established in memory of the fact that Christ fasted in the desert for forty days. The duration of Lent is somehow related to the number 40, but its actual duration depends on the calculation rules adopted in this particular denomination.
Great Lent Dates:
2016 - from March 14 to May 1 (Easter) 2017 - from February 27 to April 16 (Easter)2018 - from February 19 to April 8 (Easter) 2019 - from March 11 to April 28 (Easter) 2020 - from March 2 to April 19 (Easter)Preparation
Preparation for Great Lent begins four weeks before it begins, which serves the purpose of spiritually preparing a Christian for the main and only meaning of Lent - repentance. Each of the Weeks (Sundays) and weeks preceding Great Lent has its own name.
Sunday of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)
In the first week of preparation for fasting, the Church calls on Christians, following the example of Zacchaeus, to exercise free will in order to draw closer to God. The undersized Zacchaeus is sinful and limited, but his desire transcends and conquers all this. He forcefully attracts the attention of Jesus Christ, brings Him to his house.
Sunday of the publican and the Pharisee (Luke 18:10-14)
Three weeks before Great Lent, the Church recalls the gospel parable of the publican and the Pharisee. From this day begins the singing of the Lenten Triodion. At Matins, after the reading of the 50th Psalm, special penitential troparia “Open the doors of repentance to me…” are read, which are sung in all subsequent Weeks up to and including the fifth Week of Holy Lent.
The Church calls on the faithful to reflect on true and ostentatious repentance, when the one who condemns himself (the publican) was justified by God, and the one who exalts himself (the Pharisee) was condemned.
In commemoration of the fact that blind adherence to the letter of the law (charter) carries spiritual harm, on the following Wednesday and Friday, fasting is canceled. The next week is therefore called "solid", since on all its days, including Wednesday and Friday, according to the charter, it is allowed to eat fast food. The Typicon (Ch. 49) speaks of the abolition of fasting during this period: “It is fitting to know that in this week those who are wise keep fasting, which is called the Artsivurians. We are monks for every day, now on Wednesday and Friday, we eat cheese and eggs, at the 9th hour. The laity, on the other hand, eat meat, corrupting one of the dictates of a bit of heresy.
Sunday of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)
At Matins, Psalm 136 “On the rivers of Babylon ...” is added to the usual polyeleos psalms with “red alleluia” (this psalm, in addition to the Week of the Prodigal Son, is also sung on the Week of the Last Judgment and the Week of Cheesefare).
During the following Meat Week, meat products are still allowed to be consumed, except for Wednesday and Friday.
Week of the Last Judgment
The penultimate Sunday preceding Great Lent, the fall into sin and the exile of Adam and Eve (Matt. 25:31-46), is dedicated to the coming Last Judgment - this is the last day when eating meat is allowed (“spell” on meat).
The week following it is called Myasopust, in folk tradition known as Shrovetide: the whole week, including Wednesday and Friday, it is allowed to eat fish, eggs, cheese, dairy products; however, on Wednesday and Friday, according to the Typikon, only one meal is served in the evening, and the services on these two days are similar to Great Lent: it is not allowed to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, the penitential prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is read with bows, etc.
The last Sunday before Great Lent is Forgiveness Sunday, also called “Cheese Week”: after Vespers on this day, the rite of mutual forgiveness is performed, after which the field of Holy Forty Days begins.
Great Lent lasts six weeks + Holy Week, starting no earlier than February 2 (15) and ending no later than April 24 (7) May, inclusive, depending on the date of the celebration of Easter. At the same time, the period from March 8 (21) to March 12 (March 25) always falls on Great Lent.
Each of the six weeks of Lent (ends on Friday of the sixth week, on the eve of Lazarus Saturday) in the month-word is named by serial number: the 1st week of Great Lent, the 2nd week of Great Lent, etc. - and ends with the Week (Sunday). From Holy Week, the counting of days in weeks begins with the Week (Sunday).
worship
The service during the entire duration of the Fortecost differs from the usual one mainly in that:
on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays there is no liturgy (if there is no holiday), but the hours are read and sung and pictorial;
on Wednesdays and Fridays, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated;
on Saturdays and Palm Sunday - the usual liturgy of John Chrysostom;
on Sundays (except Palm) - the liturgy of Basil the Great;
each of the six Sundays is dedicated to a special memory.
The 1st week of Great Lent is popularly known as Fedorov's Week. At church services on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at Great Compline, the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read, in parts, and on Friday, after the prayer behind the ambo, the prayer canon to the Great Martyr Theodore Tiron (hence the name of the first week) and the blessing of the koliva (kuti) is performed. ). Monday is popularly known as Clean Monday.
First week Lent - The Triumph of Orthodoxy: in the modern practice of the Russian Orthodox Church, "eternal memory" is proclaimed to all deceased defenders of the Orthodox faith, and "many years" to the living faithful. Until 1919, heresies were also anathematized, and even earlier in Russia - state criminals. At present, heresies are being anathematized in cathedral churches.
Second Week Great Lent - The Russian Orthodox Church remembers one of the great theologians - St. Gregory Palamas.
Third Week Great Lent - Adoration of the Cross: after the great doxology at Matins, the Holy Cross is worn out from the altar and offered for veneration by the faithful. The 4th week of Great Lent following the Week is called the Adoration of the Cross; its environment is the mid-afternoon of the Holy Forty Days (colloquially it was called the Cross of the Cross); from this day until Great Wednesday, at all liturgies of the Presanctified Gifts, the litany "On those preparing for holy enlightenment" (baptism) is added.
Fourth Week- passing memory prp. John of the Ladder. On Thursday of the 5th week, at matins, the entire great penitential canon of Andrew of Crete is read, as well as the life of St. Mary of Egypt - "Andreev standing" or "standing of Mary of Egypt." Another name for this week has become widespread - “Commendable” from the Saturday Akathist or Praise to the Most Holy Theotokos: on Saturday morning, the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos is solemnly read. The celebration was established in memory of the salvation of Constantinople from a foreign invasion in 626 under the emperor Heraclius.
Fifth Week- memory of Rev. Mary of Egypt, a model of true repentance. The sixth week is the week of vay, on the heel of which the Holy Forty Day ends; Saturday - Resurrection of the righteous Lazarus (Lazarus Saturday).
Sixth Week- The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem or Palm Sunday, the twelfth feast.
Passion Week:
Great Monday, Holy Monday- Monday of Holy Week. On this day, the Old Testament patriarch Joseph, sold by his brothers to Egypt, is remembered as a prototype of the suffering Jesus Christ, as well as the gospel story about Jesus cursing a barren fig tree, symbolizing a soul that does not bear spiritual fruit - true repentance, faith, prayer and good deeds.
Great Tuesday- Tuesday of Holy Week, which remembers the sermon of Jesus Christ in the Jerusalem Temple.
Great Wednesday, Holy Wednesday- Wednesday of Holy Week, which remembers the betrayal by Judas of Jesus Christ and the anointing of him with the world.
Maundy Thursday- Christ establishes the Sacrament of the Eucharist in the Zion Room in Jerusalem. The Synoptic Gospels describe this day as the day of unleavened bread, that is, the Jewish Passover (Pesach). The Gospel of John and further events of other Gospels show that the Jews of Jerusalem celebrated Easter after the day of the execution of Christ, that is, two days later. One explanation, also based on the Qumran finds, suggests that the Galilean calendar was two days behind the Jerusalem calendar. Thus, at the Last Supper, the Old Testament Pesach - the lamb, wine and unleavened bread - is mystically associated with the New Testament Pascha - Christ, His Body and Blood;
Good Friday- according to tradition, before the Passover holiday, Pontius Pilate wanted to release one prisoner, in the hope that the people would ask for Jesus. However, incited by the high priests, the people demand that Barabbas be released. John emphasizes that the crucifixion takes place on the day of Easter, since the slaughter of the Paschal sacrificial lamb on the Old Testament Easter (Pesach) is a prototype of the New Testament Easter - the slaughter of Christ as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. Just as the bones of the Paschal lamb (first-born and without blemish) should not be broken, so Christ's legs are not broken, unlike other executed ones. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, having asked Pilate for the burial of the body of Jesus, wrap it in a shroud soaked in spices, and put it in the nearest coffin - a cave until the Sabbath rest. Mary Magdalene and the "other Mary" are present at the burial;
Holy Saturday- the high priests, remembering that Christ spoke about his resurrection on the third day, despite the current holiday and Saturday, turn to Pilate to put guards for three days so that the disciples do not steal the body, thereby depicting the resurrection of the teacher from the dead;
Enamel miniature "The Resurrection of Christ" (shoulder pad of Andrey Bogolyubsky, c. 1170-1180s)
Easter - Bright Resurrection of Christ:
Resurrection of Christ (the first day after Saturday) - after the Sabbath rest, the Myrrh-bearing Women go to the tomb. In front of them, an angel descends to the tomb and rolls off a stone from it, an earthquake occurs, and the guards are plunged into fear. The angel tells the women that Christ is risen and will lead them to Galilee. Appearance of Christ to the disciples;
Meals in Lent
With regard to the meal, the Church Charter prescribes the following rules:
in the first and last (Holy Week) weeks - a particularly strict fast;
“fast” foods are not allowed;
on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - cold food without oil once a day (in the evening);
on Tuesdays and Thursdays - hot food without oil once a day (in the evening);
on Saturdays and Sundays, it is allowed to consume vegetable oil and grape wine (except for the Saturday of Holy Week) twice a day (in the daytime and in the evening);
on Good Friday nothing is supposed to be eaten;
on Great Saturday, many believers also refuse food until Easter, but the Charter allows a single meal of raw food with wine on the evening of this day;
fish is allowed only on the holidays of the Annunciation (if it did not coincide with Holy Week) and on Palm Sunday (Vaiy); on Lazarus Saturday, fish is not allowed, but caviar can be eaten.
On the days of memory of the most revered saints, if they fell on Great Lent, it is also allowed:
- on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday - eat hot food with vegetable oil;
- on Wednesday and Friday - hot food without oil, but with wine.
Lent falls in the spring, so the main products of this fast are pickles and jams from vegetables and fruits, as well as carrots, onions, cabbage, beets, canned green peas and other legumes, apples, oranges, dried fruits and nuts. There are many different dishes that can be prepared using these and other products.
