The
Fasts of the Orthodox Christian Year and how they are observed:
(All
dates given are according to the Orthodox Christian
[‘Julian’ or
‘old’] Calendar.)
A.
The Fast of Wednesdays and Fridays.
A fast limited to
vegetables, grains, fruits and nuts, without wine and oil, is observed on
every Wednesday and Friday, throughout the year, (69th Apostolic Canon),
unless a feast day or festive period coincides in which partaking is allowed
(See the section on Partaking). Fasting on Mondays, while practiced by
monastics, clergy and pious laity, is praiseworthy but is not compulsory for
everyone (Comment in the Rudder, English version, p. 124).
B.
The Fast of Great Lent and Holy Week (before Pascha).
On weekdays (Monday
thru Friday), beginning with Clean Monday, a strict fast is observed without
wine and oil. Furthermore on Wednesdays and Fridays, according to one's
strength, unprocessed foods are consumed, (such as fruit and nuts). This is
called Xerophagy or ‘dry-eating’. The first week of the Great Fast,
Clean Week is kept as strictly as possible. On Saturdays and Sundays the
partaking of wine and oil is allowed. On the Feast Day of the Annunciation
of the Theotokos (25th of March) fish is allowed. The week after
Palm Sunday, Holy Week, is kept as strictly as possible. Holy Friday
especially, if possible, is kept with total abstinence from food until after
the Divine Liturgy on Holy Saturday when bread and wine are blessed for
consumption in the church. As the Lord said to the Pharisees: ‘The days
will come, when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they
fast’ (Matt. 9:15) (Lenten Triodion in English pp. 611, 660). During all
these days, an effort should be made to eat once a day in the evening, if
possible. This is the ancient practice of the Holy fathers, if and when they
ate at all during Great Lent or Holy Week.
C. The Fast of the Holy Apostles (Apostles Fast).
Beginning on the
Monday following All Saints Sunday, a fast limited to vegetables, grains,
fruits and nuts, without wine and oil, is observed on Mondays, Wednesdays
and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the partaking of wine and oil is
allowed. On Saturdays and Sundays the partaking of fish is allowed. This
fast ends on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (29th of June).
D.
The Fast of the Most Holy Theotokos (1st – 15th of
August) (Dormition Fast).
A fast limited to
vegetables, grains, fruits and nuts, without wine and oil, is observed on
all weekdays. On Saturdays and Sundays the partaking of wine and oil is
allowed. The partaking of fish is allowed only on the feast day of the
Transfiguration of the Saviour (6th of August).
E.
The Fast of the Nativity of Christ (Christmas) (Nativity Fast).
Beginning on the 15th
of November, a fast limited to vegetables, grains, fruits and nuts, without
wine and oil, is observed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays
and Thursdays the partaking of wine and oil is allowed. According to
tradition the partaking of fish is allowed on the Entry of the Theotokos (21st
of November) and all the following Saturdays and Sundays till the Saturday
and the Sunday on or before the Feast Day of St. Spyridon (12th
of December), (before and after this only wine and oil are allowed on
Saturdays and Sundays).
F.
The Fast of Certain Holy Days.
A
strict fast or xerophagy, without wine and oil, is observed on the following
Holy Days:
·
The
Eve of Theophany - 5th of January
·
The
Beheading of St. John the Forerunner - 29th of August
·
The
Exaltation of the Holy Cross - 14th of September
·
The
Eve of the Nativity of Christ - 24th of December
(If
the above days should happen to fall on Saturday or Sunday, oil & wine
are allowed.)
G.
The Fast of Cheese-fare Week.
The
partaking of dairy products is allowed throughout the Cheese-fare Week, that
is from the Monday after Meat-fare Sunday until and including Cheese-fare
Sunday.
During the
following Feast Days or festive periods it is permitted to relax the normal
fasting routine as outlined below:
A.
The
partaking of oil and wine is allowed during the following Feast Days which
coincide with days of fasting.
·
January
- 11, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27, 30
·
February
- 8, 10, 11, 17, 24
·
March
- 9, 26
·
April
- 23, 25, 30
·
May
- 2, 8, 15, 21, 25
·
June
- 8, 11, 30
·
July
- 1, 2, 17, 20, 22, 25, 26, 27
·
August
– 31
·
September
- 1, 6, 9, 13, 20, 23, 26
·
October
- 6, 18, 23, 26
·
November
- 1, 8, 12, 13, 16, 25, 30
·
December
- 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 15, 17, 20
B.
The
partaking of fish is allowed during the following Feast Days when they
coincide with days of fasting.
·
7th
of January - The Synaxis of Saint John the Forerunner.
·
2nd
of February - The Presentation of the Lord.
·
25th
of March - The Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos.
·
The
Wednesday of Mid-Pentecost
·
The
Apodosis (Leave-taking) of Pascha, the Wednesday 39 days after Pascha.
·
24th
of June - The Birth of Saint John the Forerunner.
·
29th
of June - The Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.
·
6th
of August - The Transfiguration of our Saviour.
·
15th
of August - The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.
·
8th
of September - The Birth of the Most Holy Theotokos.
·
14th
of November - The Holy Apostle Phillip.
·
21st
of November - The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos.
C.
The
partaking of every kind of food is allowed during the following festive
periods:
·
The
twelve days after the Nativity of Christ (Christmas), that is from the day
of the Nativity of Christ till two days before Theophany (25th
December till 4th January) and the on day of Theophany (6th
January).
·
The
first week of the Triodion, that is from the Sunday of the Publican and
Pharisee till the Sunday of the Prodigal Son.
·
The
week of Pascha (New or Bright Week), that is from the Sunday of Pascha till
the Sunday of Thomas.
·
The
week of the Holy Spirit, that is from the Sunday of Pentecost till the
Sunday of All Saints.
General
Descriptions
The
different types of fasting and eating are generally called and kept thus:
·
Strict
Fast - Total abstinence of all food and water, true fasting in its purest
form.
·
Xerophagy
– Literally ‘dry eating’ partaking of unprocessed foods such as
vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts or perhaps even dried bread and water.
·
Oil
and Wine - On days when olive oil and wine are allowed, so are octopus and
shellfish (fish with no backbone).
·
Fish
- On days when fish (with backbone) is allowed, so also are oil, wine,
octopus and shellfish.
·
Dairy
- On days when eggs cheese and dairy products are allowed, so are all of the
above.
·
Meat
– On days when meat is allowed (unless one is monastic) all foods are
allowed.