Orthodoxy has many different distinctive features, and one of them is the abundance of the strictest fasts that every believer must observe. There are specific dietary norms by day, which must be adhered to in a certain period of time. In just over the years, there are several fasts of varying significance, and today you will find out which fast is in July. This is one of the most interesting, unusual and fickle fasts observed by Orthodox believers. It does not have a clear set start and can last either very little or very long. So what is this post in July?
What post is this?
There can only be one post in July. This is Peter's fast, which is also called summer, or Apostolic. It is called so for the reason that it was established before the feast of the apostles Peter and Paul. It is not the most severe, but of particular interest is its duration, which will be discussed in more detail in this article. Now you know what the fast is in July, but this is only a small fraction of the information that can be found in this material. Here you can find out everything about this post, starting with its features and ending with what day you can eat what food so as not to violate anyrules.
Duration Features
As mentioned earlier, this post does not have a clear starting day. How does it happen? Why does a post in July 2017 last longer than the same post in 2016? Petrov Lent owes its unusual floating beginning to Easter, since it is tied precisely to this great holiday. How exactly are these two events related?
The fact is that after exactly fifty days after Easter, the Trinity is celebrated, and exactly one week after the Trinity, this fast begins. Accordingly, the earlier Easter, the earlier Petrov fast will begin. And it always ends on the same day, so the duration of the fast varies from year to year. Well, now you know the details of the duration of this post, so you can safely calculate how long Petrov's post lasted in July 2017.
Petrov post this year
So, first of all, it should be noted when the fast ends in July. Unlike the floating start, the end of this post always falls on the same day, namely July 11th. As for the beginning, in 2017 this post began on June 12th. Accordingly, in 2017, the Petrov fast lasted a whole month, unlike 2016, when it took only two weeks.
There is another very interesting moment, because of which the fast lasted one day longer this year. The fact is that Wednesday fell on July 12, and Wednesday, as everyone knows very well, is Lenten in Orthodoxyafternoon. Therefore, although the fast ended on July 11, on July 12 it actually lasted due to a separate fast day.
Well, now you know which post was in July 2017 and for how long. Now it's time to take a closer look at the dietary habits of Orthodox believers during this month.
Dry eating
Now we know the numbers of Peter's Lent, and now we can find out which of these numbers which dishes were allowed. In this article, information will be presented incrementally, so first we will talk about the days for which dry eating was typical. If readers are unfamiliar with Orthodox traditions, then first you should figure out what it is.
Lent food is a strict fast that involves eating only bread and raw vegetables and fruits. Within the framework of this post, the days of dry eating fell on Wednesday and Friday, and in total there were as many as seven such days. These are the most difficult days for believers, because they are forbidden almost all food, in addition, they cannot eat anything hot.
Hot food without oil
If we talk about the Orthodox fast in July, then, of course, it is not limited solely to dry eating. In this case, on Mondays, hot food is also added to fruits, vegetables and bread, but without seasoning it with oil. Accordingly, five times during the entire fasting period you will have to eat in this way. These days of fasting in July, as you can see, are limited. But what can you eat on other days?
Adding fishdishes
Having received an answer to the question of whether there is a fast in July, you can immediately understand that you will not see meat dishes at this time. Most of the time, however, you will be able to eat fish dishes, as on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays you can add fish dishes to your diet. Without this, it would be difficult for Orthodox believers to survive such a harsh fast. In ancient times, many people had to make do with the meager dishes and river fish that they managed to catch. Fortunately, these days with food, everything is much easier, so everyone can survive such a fast.
Weekends
What is the difference between the days off during the Petrov Lent, which takes place in the summer, in June and July? The fact is that Saturday and Sunday offer believers the same menu as Tuesday and Thursday, but at the same time you can drink a glass of wine, because wine, as everyone knows, is the blood of Jesus. Accordingly, it helps to diversify the diet during fasting.
Special day
Special attention should be paid to the seventh of July, as it is Friday, so logically, this day should be dry eating. However, in reality, on this day you can eat both hot food and fish dishes. What's more, you can even put wine on the table. Why? The fact is that an Orthodox holiday falls on July 7, namely the Nativity of John the Baptist. Accordingly, the standard rules of Petrov Lent do not apply to this day. The same applies to another day, which has already been said.earlier, namely July 12. If the fast continued further, then on this day you should again observe dry eating. But Petrov fast ends on July 11, and July 12 is a standard fast day. And this means that you can put hot dishes, fish, and even wine on the table.
Petrov post in other years
It has already been said above that last year the fast was only two weeks, but this does not always happen. Even this year, the Petrov fast lasted a whole month. What will be next? What should you prepare for in 2018? Peter's Lent was discussed in this article as an event that had already happened, because, according to tradition, it took place in the summer. However, you can start preparing for the 2018 fast now. And the most important thing you need to know about is its start date. It would seem that the post of 2017 was already quite long, but in 2018 an even greater test awaits you. The fact is that Petrov fast will begin on June 4, that is, it will last more than a month.
This is not the longest post ever. The longest Petrov fast had a duration of six weeks, that is, it began already in May. By the way, the shortest summer fast lasted only one week and one day, that is, from July 4 to 11. Unfortunately, nothing like this will happen in the coming years. The shortest for the next five years, Petrov Post will begin on June 28, and this will happen in 2021. As you can see, church fasts in July will not be particularly short in the near future, so Orthodox believers will have to endure severetests.
Severity of fasting
Since we are talking about severity, it is necessary to compare this fast with other big fasts that await Orthodox believers throughout the year. While this may seem like a pretty serious test, it really isn't. Firstly, this post cannot be called harsh, if only for the reason that it is summer. During this period, many people themselves will be happy to eat only vegetables and fruits. The feeling of hunger is not as strong as in winter, so believers will not have much trouble keeping the fast.
Secondly, if you compare this fast with others, such as Lent, which runs from February to April, or Christmas Lent, which runs from December to January, Peter's fast is not so severe. For example, during Lent, three days a week out of seven, people need to adhere to a dry diet, that is, eat only raw vegetables, fruits, and bread. On the rest of the days they can eat hot food, but they cannot think not only about meat, but even about fish. Accordingly, it is impossible to call Peter's Lent especially severe, because in comparison with the same Great Lent, it really pales.
Summing up
Well, now absolutely all the details that relate to Petrov's post are indicated. This is very useful information for every Orthodox believer, because all such people must strictly observe all fasts. And if you know when fasting starts, how long it will last, and also what productsfood is allowed to be consumed on a particular day of fasting, then it will be much easier to prepare for it. Great attention should be paid to who exactly adheres to the post. In this article, no one is trying to hurt the feelings of believers, but you should fast on your own, at your own request, and not try to persuade anyone else to do so. In particular, we are talking about children who cannot yet make a conscious religious choice. Moreover, fasting can have an extremely negative impact on the development of the child, so in no case should anyone be forced to fast. Only the person himself can decide whether he wants to fast or not.
The article covered all the necessary information about exactly how Petrov's post was held in 2017, as well as how long it will last in 2018. It was indicated on which days which foods can be consumed, so believers can plan their diet for this period. As you can easily guess, this fast is timed to coincide with how the apostles fasted in preparation for the worldwide preaching of the gospel. In addition, during this fast, the greatest apostles prepared their successors, so do not underestimate its importance. Of course, it is not as famous and widespread as Lent or Christmas, but this does not mean that it is less important. Therefore, if you are a follower of Orthodoxy, then you should definitely know about this post so as not to miss it. With the information obtained from this article, you will not have any problems and you will be able to navigate the summer post freely.and comfortable.
Well, at the moment it is necessary to prepare for the Advent Lent, which will begin on November 28 and end on January 6 next year. As for the next Petrov Lent, its dates in 2018 have already been mentioned earlier.
