For an Orthodox Christian, fasting is a special time of abstinence not only from animal products, but also from various worldly amusements and passions. Fasting is called the spring of the soul, since it is a special period of time in which a person seeks to cleanse his soul, to become closer to God.
In the Orthodox Church, there are four long-term fasts: Great Lent, Nativity Fast, Peter's Fast and Dormition Fast. Two of these periods of abstinence are not transient in time (Christmas and Dormition fasts), the rest are not fixed for a specific date.
The main post for an Orthodox Christian is Great Lent. The holy fathers of the first centuries of Christianity already have evidence of the abstinence of Christians from animal products. Lent lasts seven weeks, ending with the feast of Bright Sunday of Christ (Easter). This is the strictest of all Orthodox fasts. Fish is allowed only on the holidays of the Annunciation and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. This fast was established in memory of the forty days of abstinence of Christ in the wilderness before leaving for public service. The start time of Lent depends on Easter. It is worth mentioning the period of time during which Great Lent may fall. Saving abstinence begins no earlier than February 15th, and ends no later than May 7th. The exact time of the beginning of Great Lent can be found in the church calendar.
After Great Lent, there is Peter's Lent. This period of abstinence begins a week after the feast of the Holy Trinity, and always ends on the day of remembrance of the chief apostles Peter and Paul (July 12). It is known that this fast has already been practiced by Christians since the 4th century. Peter's fast is not strict (fish is allowed on Saturday and Sunday).
At the end of the summer, Christians have another strict fast - Dormition. It begins on August 14th and ends on the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin (August 28th). This fast was practiced among Christians already in the 5th century. However, the final official establishment of fasting took place in 1166 at the Council of Constantinople. During the Dormition Lent, believers are allowed to eat fish only on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19th).
Another long fast in the Orthodox tradition is the Nativity Fast. It begins on November 28th and ends on the feast of the Nativity of Christ (January 7th). Otherwise, this fast may be called Filippov, since on the eve of November 27 the Church commemorates the memory of the Apostle Philip. This post is lax. Fish is allowed on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as on the great feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Virgin. This post has been mentioned in Christian sources since the 4th century.
