Holy Dormition Fast lasts two weeks. The beginning of bodily and spiritual abstinence, dedicated to the Mother of God, for Christians begins on August 14th. Fasting ends on the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin on August 28th.
The Dormition fast is considered strict. Therefore, the food allowed for this fast is not much different from the fast food.
The church charter prescribes strict abstinence on Wednesdays and Fridays. The Christian is prescribed dry eating. This means that boiled food is prohibited, and vegetable oil cannot be consumed either. On these days you can eat vegetables and fruits. Sometimes some priests allow baked food to be eaten. In this form can be used, for example, potatoes. There is a practice to understand dry eating food that is eaten cold. If a person has permission to eat such dishes, then you can eat any food cold, not containing elements of animal origin, without vegetable oil.
On Saturdays and Sundays of the Dormition Fast, relaxation in food is allowed. A Christian can eat vegetable oil. Therefore, it is quite possible to prepare various vegetable salads seasoned with lean mayonnaise. It is also permissible to use any products that do not contain elements of animal origin.
On the rest of the week, vegetable oil is prohibited, but boiled food is eaten. Fish in the Dormition Fast is allowed only on the feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ on August 19.
It should be noted that eating some seafood is allowed on the Assumption Lent, as well as on other fasts. So, shrimp, squid, octopus do not belong to the non-fast food. Therefore, squid and vegetable salads are common. During the Dormition Fast, the use of soy foods is allowed, since they are of plant origin.
With the blessing of the confessor, there may be indulgences in fasting. For example, on Wednesdays and Fridays, it is possible to authorize boiled food with vegetable oil.
It is also necessary to understand that bodily abstinence is not the whole point of fasting. A Christian needs to refrain from his passions at this time, try to quarrel with his neighbors less, confess and receive communion more often, and read the Holy Scriptures more.
