The Orthodox Church has established several fasts, different in duration: multi-day, weekly (on Wednesdays and Fridays) throughout the year, except for continuous weeks, and one-day. For each of these types of fasting, there are special prescriptions that believers want to follow. However, concessions are also provided for children, pregnant women, lactating mothers, sick and elderly people. Fasting is not an end in itself, but a means of humbling the flesh and cleansing from sins. Without prayer and spiritual work on oneself, fasting becomes an ordinary diet.
It is necessary
- - products prescribed by the Lenten menu;
- - Orthodox calendar of fasts and holidays for a year.
Instructions
Step 1
The lean menu completely excludes the following products: meat, milk and any dairy products, eggs and dishes that include them in their composition. On church holidays, which fall on the days of fasting (except Wednesday and Friday), it is allowed to eat fish and seafood.
Step 2
The list of "permitted" during fasting includes quite a few products that are capable not only harmlessly, but also with particular benefit to support the human body for quite a long time. On all days of fasting, except for the strictest ones, boldly eat cereals, grains and legumes, bread and pasta, fruits and vegetables, vegetable oils, mushrooms and berries, honey.
Step 3
The most important - Great Lent - precedes the celebration of Easter. Fasting is carried out with particular rigor in the first and last (passionate) week of fasting. On the first day of Great Lent (pure Monday) and on Good Friday, before taking out the shroud during Vespers (which takes place at 14 or 15 o'clock in the afternoon), completely abstain from food.
Step 4
On the following days of fasting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, an extreme degree of fasting is established - "dry eating". On these days, drink water, compotes, eat bread, fresh fruits and vegetables (as well as dried and fermented). Eat hot meals without oil on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Vegetable oil is allowed on Saturday and Sunday.
Step 5
On the holidays that fall on Lent (Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, Palm Sunday), cook fish. And on Lazarev Saturday it is allowed to eat fish caviar.
Step 6
During the Fast of the Holy Apostles (or Peter's Fast) on Wednesdays and Fridays, observe a strict fast (dry eating). On Mondays, cook hot food without oil, and on all other days, eat fish, mushrooms, cereals, flavored with vegetable oil.
Step 7
The Dormition Fast lasts 14 days. Observe dry eating on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, hot food without oil is allowed on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and vegetable oil is allowed on Saturdays and Sundays. The Transfiguration of the Lord falls on this post - on this day you can eat fish.
Step 8
The charter of the Nativity Lent until the day of St. Nicholas (December 19) coincides with the charter of the summer Peter's Lent. After this day and until the end of the fast, it is allowed to eat fish on Saturday and Sunday (except for the prefeast of Christmas).
Step 9
Throughout the year, believers observe a weekly fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. It consists in avoiding the use of meat and dairy products. Fish and vegetable oils are also excluded throughout the week of Christmas. Fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays is canceled only during five continuous weeks (Christmas week, week of the Publican and Pharisee, Maslenitsa, Easter and Trinity weeks).
Step 10
Get used to fasting gradually, first determining for yourself some necessary minimum of food per day, and then gradually reducing it to a reasonable limit. The most important thing is to monitor the state of your soul at this time. If fasting makes you irritable, intolerant, then it is harmful to you, because the goals of fasting are completely opposite - humility, cleansing the soul from vices, drawing closer to God and growing in love.
