Peter's Fast begins in June: it was established by the Christian Orthodox Church in memory of the Apostles Peter and Paul, who prepared for the gospel sermon through strict abstinence in food.
The summer post of Petrov has many names. He is Apostolic, and Peter's retreat, and Pentecost fast, and even simply - Petrovka. The first mention of this fast is found in the Apostolic Decrees, ancient collections of church canons, which date back to 380 AD. Following the example of the supreme apostles Peter and Paul, who, observing the commandment of their Teacher, prepared for the gospel sermon, being in tireless prayer and fasting, the church instructs parishioners to do the same.
The peculiarity of the Petrov Lent is that it begins every year at a different time. Namely - after the Day of the Holy Trinity, which, in turn, is celebrated on the 49th day after Easter, on Sunday. When the Great Vespers and the glorification of the Holy Spirit, descended upon the apostles, end, a week later, on Monday, the churched take a vow of fasting. The Petrovsky communion always ends on July 12, so the length of Petrovki is changing all the time and depends on the date of Easter. Sometimes Peter's fast can last only a week and one day, sometimes - 42 days.
For Christians, this fast is considered easy. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, fasting is prescribed for fasting people - raw vegetables and fruits, nuts, bread. Cooked food is allowed on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but oil is still not allowed. It is recommended to eat twice a day. On Saturday and Sunday, the ban on oil and fish is lifted. Fish is also allowed on weekdays of fasting, if any temple feast or saint's day falls on them.
Among those who use fasting as a tribute to fashion or as fasting days, Petrov fast is not very popular. However, for the church, it is as important as the Great and the Nativity Fast. The priests are adamant: in their opinion, a person who does not fast without good reason (illness, pregnancy, childhood, being on the road) has no right to be called an Orthodox Christian.
