Forty days before Christmas begins the time when fasting and prayer take on incredible power. This is a period of purification, humility, repentance and hope for a brighter future. Advent is one of the four most significant, strict and longest fasts of the year. By observing this tradition, believers prepare their bodies and souls for the wonderful feast of the birth of the Savior and thank Him for the life that He gave to everyone.
History of occurrence
Fasting and prayer are the main directions that Christians have been striving for from November 28 to January 6 for many centuries and millennia. In the fourth century, fasting was mentioned in the writings of Saint Ambrose of Mediodala, blessed Augustine. In the fifth century, the ancient tradition was described by Leo the Great. Initially, the Advent fast lasted from seven to ten days. In 1166, the Patriarch of Constantinople, Luke, and the Emperor of Byzantium, Manuel, at the cathedralordered the duration of the fast, which will last forty days.
Christmas Lent in the Church Charter is called Lent (Lent has the same name), it is the final of the year. The incantation (eve) of the fast falls on the day of remembrance of the holy Apostle Philip (November 27), therefore, in addition to Christmas, the fast has the name Philippov.
The purpose of the advent of Advent
On the forty-day eve of Christmas, fasting and prayer must be observed. Leo the Great mentioned four seasons, in each of which there are posts. A person needs to undergo purification in order to adequately meet the next three-month period with new strengths and opportunities, and also to thank the Lord for the time lived. In the Nativity Fast, it is necessary to give praise to God for the harvests given to them, which allow a person not to die of hunger.
Voluntary abstinences that a person imposes on himself are called upon to purify his soul and body, to make his small contribution to God's cause of the embodiment of peace, truth and goodness.
Holidays that fell during Lent
Prayers read in fasting have incredible energy power, because at this time the heavens open, and the Angels quickly convey praise and petitions to the Lord. The period of Advent is distinguished by the presence of major holidays, especially loved by all Christians.
The Fourth of December marks the feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos. The Virgin Mary crossed the threshold of the temple at the age of threeyears, this moment is depicted on the icon of the “Three-year-old”.
The nineteenth of December is marked by the remembrance of one of the most beloved and revered saints - Nicholas the Wonderworker. He patronizes travelers and seafarers, he is especially kind to children. St. Nicholas has a tradition of bringing gifts to obedient children on the night of December 18-19, so many kids are looking forward to waking up to find a cherished toy in their slippers.
Folk traditions of Advent
Prayers during fasting are the main tradition, since they must be read as often as possible (or mentally turn to the Lord in your own words). There are also folk signs and traditions that were implicitly carried out by our ancestors. Filippov's day (November 27) had other names: Kudelica, Zagovene, Zapusty (from the word "launch"). In the first week of fasting, it was customary for women to spin yarn to make clothes. The work was accompanied by proverbs and sayings: “The spinning wheel is not God, but gives a shirt”, “A lazy spinner has no shirt to himself”, “Less being lazy, better dressed.”
It was customary to play the last weddings on Kudelitsy, since marriage during the Advent is not welcomed by the church.
Recommendations for observing the Advent Lent
The main thing is to read prayers in fasting. Many people know many prayers by heart, other people do not know them at all. It does not matter, because the desire of a person to act according to God's direction,able to overcome all obstacles. There is a lot of information on the Internet with the texts of various prayers, you can write them out on a piece of paper and read them several times a day. Even if there is no specific goal to learn them by heart, after a few repetitions, this will happen on its own. You should start praying from the very first day, but the Lord is equally favorable to those who join much later. The main recommendations and a kind of instruction for action are the following actions:
- In the church, be sure to pray for the repose of deceased relatives and friends, take commemoration (commemoration products).
- Buy candles and place them for the he alth of your loved ones, do not forget to pray for your well-being. Do it with a pure heart, repenting of your sins and asking God for help.
- It would be a smart decision to talk to the priest (confess, ask all your questions, ask for blessings for fasting).
- If it was not possible to visit the church before the fast or at its beginning, you must ask the Lord for blessings (in your own words). Then be sure to visit the church, and it is desirable to do this as often as possible.
- Keep your heart clean and in harmony, do not get irritated or angry, restrain your emotions.
- Do everything sincerely and wholeheartedly, put a piece of your heart into every word and deed.
Rules for fasting
What kind of prayers in fasting would a person read, and no matter how hekept strict control over his diet, these actions will be useless if he does not fast spiritually. The most important thing is inner cleansing and the desire to start life from a new page, without negativity. A person still commits sins, but the Lord gives him the opportunity to purify himself and take the path of correction. This is the whole point of the Advent. The classic rules are:
- Christmas Fast is as strict as Petrov's Fast.
- On Monday, Wednesday and Friday it is forbidden to eat fish and wine. Do not consume vegetable oil (dry eating).
- Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday are allowed to eat with vegetable oil.
- Fish and wine are allowed on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as on major holidays (Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos and St. Nicholas into the Temple).
- From the second to the seventh of January, fasting intensifies. Eating fish and drinking wine is forbidden, even if the date falls on Saturday or Sunday.
- Pray at least three times a day.
Food in fasting
You can not be limited to prayers read in the Christmas post. In order to sustain it completely, it is necessary to adhere to special rules of nutrition. It is strictly forbidden to meat, milk, butter, eggs and all dishes in which these ingredients are present even in the smallest quantities (bread and pastries). At the same time, monks should not be confused with ordinary people. The laity have many obstacles in order to strictly observe the fast from the first to the last.day. He alth does not allow some people, others are traveling where it is not possible to adhere to this diet, another category of people is engaged in physical labor (serves, plays sports). These people can ask the priest for relief or exclude some excesses for themselves, but not deprive themselves of vital food.
A special word should be said about children. They also need to be attached to fasting, but this should be done more on a spiritual level. A growing body needs a balanced diet, so it is strictly forbidden to maintain a strict fast. But a few days of abstaining from fatty and fried foods will only benefit.
Celebration of the New Year in Advent
Fasting and prayer are priority rules during the period from November 28 to January 6. But there are some nuances that must be taken into account in order not to deviate from these postulates, since the modern New Year is celebrated at this time. Fasting is a personal matter, so you should not impose it on your family and friends, thereby causing them resentment. In order not to break traditions and make the holiday fun for everyone, it is necessary to prudently prepare two types of dishes: Lenten and festive. Your loved ones should be presented with the usual traditional snacks, and for yourself and everyone who fasts - no less tasty lenten masterpieces of culinary art. There are many recipes on the Internet that even surpass non-lean dishes in their deliciousness and originality.
During fasting: what actions are prohibited
Prayers during the Advent are the main ones, because only in the language of prayers can one communicate with God. Fasting is a voluntary and personal decision of a person to become cleaner spiritually and physically. But do not confuse it with a regular diet, because in this way you can sin even more. To understand what constitutes a true fast, you need to familiarize yourself with some restrictions:
- Eating animal food.
- Drink alcohol.
- Smoking tobacco.
- Take psychotropic chemicals (drugs).
- Participate in parties and other entertainment activities.
- Watch variety shows.
- Have sex (this also applies to married couples).
- Slander, get angry, annoyed.
- Show off your willpower to keep your fast.
- Demonstrate your oppression from forced abstinence and restriction.
Morning Prayer
Every Christian should know what prayers to read for the Advent. The most important prayer is "Our Father", it can be read at any time of the day. In addition, according to the rules, it is necessary to say prayers three times a day. Immediately after sleep, you need to start reading the morning prayer. To do this, it is recommended to approach the icon, light church candles (if any) or an icon lamp (it can be left burning all day long) and start reading. Women are required to cover their heads with a headscarf or scarf.
The Lord's Prayer is read first:
Our Father who art in heaven! May your name shine, may your kingdom come, may your will be done, both in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread for this day; and deliver us from our debts, as we also forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Your power and will is forever and ever. Amen.
Then (if necessary) supplemented with the following words:
Grant me, Lord, protection from satiety and gluttony, let me accept Your gracious gifts, so that, having tasted them, I would be strengthened in spirit and body and serve for Your glory.
Prayer after meals
After eating, a prayer of thanksgiving is read, which praises the Lord for giving the opportunity to eat. Prayer text:
Thank you, Christ God, for nourishing us with your earthly blessings; do not deliver us from the Kingdom of God either, but as You appeared among the disciples, the Savior, come to us and save us.
Evening Prayer
A believer should know what prayer in the Christmas post should be read in the evening before going to bed. In it, a person asks for forgiveness for the day he lived, during which unrighteous deeds were done, empty words were uttered, bad thoughts that accidentally arose, intentional and unintentional. The text of the prayer: "Eternal and merciful God, forgive me the sins that I have created by deed, speech or thought. Give, Lord, to my humble soul cleansing from all filth. Send me, Lord, calm in the nightsleep, so that in the morning I would again serve Your most holy Name. Deliver me, Lord, from vanity and dashing thoughts. For there is power and Your Kingdom, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen."
