The whole church life of a Christian is scheduled in the Orthodox calendar. Every day is described there: what kind of food can be eaten, whether any holiday or commemoration day of a particular saint is celebrated today. They are established by the church so that a person can rise above worldly fuss, think about his future in eternity, join the services in the church. On major holidays and on the day of the angel, believers always try to take communion. It is also believed that all prayers and prayers will be received by the Lord with greater favor precisely on the eve of the holidays. And it is no coincidence that these great days are often preceded by Christian fasts. The meaning of the life of a believer is the acquisition of love, unity with God, victory over passions and temptations. Fasting was given to us as an opportunity for purification, this is a period of special vigil, and the feast after it is a day of rejoicing and prayers of thanksgiving for the mercy of God.
Christian holidays and fasts
What are the Christian fasts and holidays? The year of church services consists ofthe fixed circle of events and the Paschal circle. All the dates of the first are fixed, while the events of the second depend on the date of Easter. It is she who is the greatest holiday of all believers, bearing the meaning of the Christian faith, embodying the hope for a general resurrection. This date is not constant, it is calculated every year according to the Orthodox Paschalia. After this bright day, the twelfth holidays come in importance. There are twelve of them, three of them are transient, it is they who depend on the day of Easter. These are Palm Sunday, Ascension and Trinity. And the everlasting twelfth holidays are Christmas, Baptism, Meeting, Annunciation, Transfiguration, Assumption, Nativity of the Virgin, Ex altation, Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos. All of them are connected with the earthly life of Christ and the Virgin Mary and are revered as a memory of the holy events that happened once. In addition to the Twelve, the great holidays are: the Circumcision of the Lord, the day of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the Nativity of John the Baptist, the Beheading of John the Baptist, the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.
The concept of Christian fasting
The periods of abstinence for believers are an integral part of life. The word "fasting" itself comes from the Greek apastia, which literally means "one who does not eat anything." But food restriction among Christians has little to do with therapeutic starvation or diet, because caring for excess weight has absolutely nothing to do with it. We find the first mention of fasting in the Bible in the Old Testament, when Moses fasted for 40 days before receiving the commandments from the Lord. And Jesus spent so muchthe same time in the wilderness, in hunger and loneliness, before going out to the people with the words of their sermons. While fasting, they did not think about their physical he alth, but first of all about the purification of the mind and the renunciation of everything earthly.
It is not in our power to fast so strictly - without water and food, but we have no right to forget about the meaning of fasting. It is given to us, sinful people, to get rid of passions, to understand that a person is first a spirit, and then flesh. We must prove to ourselves that we can give up our favorite foods and foods in order to achieve something higher. Restriction in food during fasting is only an aid in the fight against sins. Learn to fight with your passions, bad habits, carefully monitor yourself and avoid condemnation, evil, despondency, strife - that's what it means to fast.
Main Christian holidays and fasts
The Church established one-day fasts and multi-day fasts. Wednesday and Friday of each week are the days when the Orthodox do not eat dairy and meat food, they try to keep their thoughts clean and remember God. On Wednesday we fast in memory of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, and on Friday in memory of the crucifixion and suffering of Christ. These one-day Christian fasts are established forever, they must be observed all year round, with the exception of continuous weeks - weeks during which abstinence is canceled in honor of the great holidays. One-day fast days are also established on the eve of some holidays. And there are four fasts of many days: Christmas (lasts in winter), Great(spring) and summer - Petrov and Uspensky.
Lent
The strictest and longest is the Great Christian Lent before Easter. There is a version that it was installed by the holy apostles after the death and miraculous resurrection of Jesus. At first, Christians abstained from all food every Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday they celebrated the resurrection of Christ at the liturgy.
Lent now usually begins 48 days before Easter. Each week is endowed with a special spiritual meaning. The weeks during which the strictest abstinence is prescribed are the first and last, Passion. It is named so because during these days all the events of the life of Christ, preceding his sufferings on the cross, death and resurrection, are remembered. This is a period of special sorrow and intensified prayers, repentance. Therefore, as in the time of the apostles, Friday and Saturday of Holy Week involve the rejection of any food.
How to fast?
What are the rules of Christian fasting? Some believe that in order to fast, the blessing of a priest is necessary. This is undoubtedly a good thing, but fasting is the duty of every Orthodox person, and if it is not possible to take a blessing, you need to fast without it.
The main rule: observe abstinence, avoid physical and spiritual evil. Keep the tongue from angry and unfair words, thoughts from condemnation. This is the time when a person focuses on himself, on understanding his sins, internally renouncing the world. In addition to food, fasting consciouslylimits himself in entertainment: visits to cinemas, concerts, discos and other events are postponed for a while. It is also undesirable to watch TV and read entertainment literature, abuse the Internet. Smoking, various alcoholic drinks and intimacy are excluded.
How to eat while fasting?
What can you eat in a Christian fast? It implies that food should be simpler and cheaper than what you are used to. In the old days, the money saved during the fast on food was donated to the poor. Therefore, the fasting diet is based on cereals and vegetables, which are usually cheaper than meat and fish.
What can I eat in a Christian fast?
Great and Assumption fasts are considered strict, and Rozhdestvensky and Petrov are not strict. The difference is that during the last two on certain days it is allowed to eat fish, consume vegetable oil and even drink some wine.
Before you start fasting, you should consider your diet so that the body does not feel a lack of vitamins and minerals. In winter, they are abundant in pickled vegetables, especially cabbage, and in summer - in fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs. Cooking potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, carrots is better for a couple, in a slow cooker or grill - so they retain all the nutrients. It is very good to combine stewed vegetables with cereals - it is both tasty and he althy. Do not forget about greens and seasonal fruits, and in winter - about dried fruits. Source of protein for this period can be legumes, nuts, mushrooms and soybeans.
What can not be eaten in fasting?
So the Christian Lent has come. What can't be eaten? Meat, poultry, any offal, sausage, milk and any dairy products, as well as eggs are prohibited. Vegetable oil and fish too, except on some days. You will also have to give up mayonnaise, sweet pastries, chocolate, and alcohol. There is a special meaning in abstaining from delicacies, adhering to the principle "the simpler the food, the better." Suppose you cook delicious salmon, which costs more than meat and is very appetizing. Even if it is allowed to eat fish on this day, such a dish will become a violation of fasting, because fasting food should be cheap and not arouse the passions of gluttony. And of course, you don't have to overeat. The Church prescribes to eat once a day and not to fill.
Relief during Lent
All these rules correspond to the monastic charter. There are many reservations for fasting people in the world.
- A feasible, non-strict fast is observed by pregnant women and nursing mothers, children, as well as unhe althy people.
- Reliefs are made for those who are on the road and do not have fast food to satisfy their hunger.
- People who are not spiritually ready for fasting also make no sense to strictly observe all the prescriptions.
To limit oneself in food as much as the monastic charter suggests, is very difficult for someone who is not mentally prepared for this. Therefore, you need to start with something small. For starters, give up only meat. Or from someonefavorite dish or food. Avoid overeating and treats. It is very difficult, and the meaning lies precisely in the victory over oneself, in observing some kind of restriction. Here it is important not to overestimate your strengths and maintain a balance that will allow you to remain in a good mood and good he alth. It's better to eat a quick meal than to be annoyed or angry with loved ones.
Vegetarianism and its difference from Christian fasting
At first glance, Christian fasting has a lot in common with vegetarianism. But there is a big difference between them, which lies primarily in the worldview, in the reasons for the restriction in nutrition.
Vegetarianism is a way of life that offers a refusal to harm all living things. Vegetarians not only do not eat animal products, they also often refuse fur coats, leather bags and boots, and advocate for animal rights. Such people do not eat meat, not because they limit themselves, but because it is the principle of their life.
In Christian fasts, on the contrary, the main idea of abstaining from certain foods is a temporary restriction, the offering of a feasible sacrifice to God. In addition, fasting days are accompanied by intense spiritual work, prayers, and repentance. Therefore, it is possible to talk about the similarity of these two concepts only from the point of view of nutrition. And the foundations and essence of vegetarianism and Christian fasting have nothing in common.
