Strict prohibitions on Peter's Fast: even if you are not fasting, it is strictly forbidden to do so. What not to do during Lent

IN Lately It has become quite popular to fast. From year to year everything more people limit themselves in food for the purpose of physical recovery and spiritual cleansing. Believers, of course, know well how to fast correctly. Our article is intended for those who are going to fast for the first time, we will tell you about the meaning of fasting, why it is needed, how to fast, what you can and cannot eat during fasting, and also about who is allowed to relax the fast .

Should you fast?

First of all, it’s worth saying that the meaning of any post, according to Orthodox Church, consists of cleansing the spirit and body from earthly passions, anger and hatred. Jesus Christ himself in his sermons said that fasting should be an impulse of the soul that seeks calm, peace and harmony. Under no circumstances should you fast for show in order to impress others. Fasting should be dedicated only to God, and it should be done with joy and from the heart.

People have long fasted before doing something important, when they especially needed strength and wisdom from God. You should also fast in order to humble your soul before God and purify your heart, drawing closer to him. Only such a fast does God accept, only such a fast is pleasing to God, and only in such a fast will he accept and hear sincere prayers a person, giving him the strength to do good deeds.

The answer to the question: “Is it necessary to fast?” each person gives himself. It is important that you really want it, that it is the sincere desire of your soul.

According to the Bible, fasting is not even a reduction in the diet with the removal of fast foods from it, it is a complete abstinence from food, sometimes with abstinence from drinking, as well as abstinence from sexual relations for a certain period of time. This is the time during which a person humbles and crushes his pride before God and surrenders himself to his power and mercy. According to the Bible, one should fast only out of love for God and only before him, without showing off or hypocrisy.

The second popular question related to fasting is: “Is it possible not to fast under certain circumstances in life?” The Bible says that the most important thing is spiritual fasting, and only then physical fasting. Those. During the period of fasting, you must live in humility and chastity, read prayers, take communion, and you can fast without being too strict. Only the first and last 7 days of fasting require compliance. The Church officially allows not to fast:

• pregnant women and nursing mothers
• travelers
• old people

Doctors add to this list:

• patients with cancer
• teenagers who need a large number of protein, vitamins and minerals
• people with blood pressure problems, gastrointestinal diseases, heart failure
• people engaged in heavy physical labor
• people living in extreme climatic conditions

In general, according to church rules, each person sets the degree of strictness of fasting for himself after a conversation with his spiritual mentor: the more a person feels like a sinner, the stricter the fast he must observe, and most importantly, the more sincerely he must want to observe it!

How to fast during Lent

Now let's talk about how to fast during Lent. Coming Lent, how to fast correctly? First of all, you should think about spiritual cleansing and, in this regard, reduce watching TV, using the Internet and listening to music. In addition, you should spend more time at home with your family, avoid noisy companies and other entertainment. It's great if you manage to reduce the number intimacy during the period of fasting, it is strictly prohibited in the first and last weeks of fasting. Fasting without prayer has practically no meaning; it is also necessary to make peace with all your neighbors during fasting, attend church every Sunday and confess and receive communion at least once a month.

We've sorted out spiritual fasting. Now let's talk about... The strictest days of fasting are the first four days, as well as the entire last week before Easter. At the same time, on the first Monday of Lent (Clean Monday) and the last Friday before Easter (Good Friday), you should not eat or drink anything at all. The remaining days, dry eating is allowed (fruits, nuts, seeds, salted, fresh or pickled vegetables).

During fasting, you should not smoke, drink alcohol (with the exception of red wine on weekends and holidays that fall during this period), meat, fish, eggs, milk and all products containing them. Not yet edible vegetable oil, it is only allowed on weekends.

You should eat no more than once a day if you adhere to strict fasting, and no more than two times if you are not strictly fasting.

Meals during fasting are organized according to the schedule:

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday - dry food (water, bread, fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, honey, nuts)
• Tuesday, Thursday - hot food without oil is allowed (tea, coffee, porridge, thermally processed vegetables)
• Saturday, Sunday - you can eat any food 2 times a day, except fast food, plus vegetable oil

On the Feast of the Annunciation Holy Mother of God And Palm Sunday You can eat fish, and on Lazarus Saturday - fish caviar.

Tip: Drink plenty of water throughout your fast to prevent dehydration. Remember that the smells of cinnamon or cloves help fight hunger.

How to fast before communion

And the last thing in the context of fasting is fasting before communion. Few people know how to fast before communion. Be sure to fast before communion for those people who do not fast throughout the year and receive communion only once a year, for example, on Easter. In this case, you should fast for a week before communion, and the day before communion itself you should completely abstain from food and water.

If you observe fasts throughout the year and fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, then the Eucharistic fast will be enough for you, i.e. communion on an empty stomach.

In addition to fasting, before communion you should read the rules, canons and prayers before communion, which are in any prayer book.

Remember that the most important thing in fasting is not food restrictions, but cleansing of the soul. It is worth refusing not so much from food as from the passions of earthly life that weigh on our souls. Then fasting will be a joy.

– Why are there so many restrictions on pleasures, food, and sexual relations in Orthodoxy? It seems that no harm is caused to others, the commandment of love for one’s neighbor is not violated. Why is it necessary to “kill your body”, your desires? Why such lack of freedom?

– Our body is killed not by restrictions on food and other pleasures, but by excess in them. And, besides, even if we do not harm others and do not violate the commandment to love our neighbor, we still need to love God. This is where some restrictions in pleasures come from, since love, when it exists, manifests itself in action, in our actions.

For example, it is easy to say: “I don’t love myself,” but at the same time our actions indicate that we love ourselves exactly as we should love God. And you can just as easily say: “I love God,” but nothing is easier than words—love is learned from deeds. And if we want to love God, then we will limit ourselves to what removes us from Him. There is no such goal - neither in worldly life nor in spiritual life - for the sake of which we would not sacrifice something else. Those who do not want to sacrifice anything are left with nothing. They do not gain anything worthwhile, and at the same time lose what they had.

Priest Mikhail Nemnonov
answers priest Alexy Chumakov (Los Angeles)
– How is it different from ordinary time? I already try to lead a strict spiritual life... how and what should I change during Lent? Ksenia

– Hello, Ksenia!

May God grant you to create a strong and happy family!

Sincerely, priest Alexander Ilyashenko

HOW TO FAST FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND CHILDREN?

Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko, rector of the Church of the All-Merciful Savior in Moscow,father of 12 children, chairman of the editorial board of the portal “Orthodoxy and Peace”

– Father Alexander, one of the questions that readers asked us is this: they often say that a mother’s fast can have a beneficial effect on the spiritual life of a child. Will a child become better off from an uneaten piece of meat?

The point is that fasting is a sacrifice to God. If mommy fasts, wanting her feasible If you fast as a sacrifice to God, then it pleases Him and the baby will feel the grace of God, as when visiting a temple, as when the parents pray.

“Mother made a vow to God: if I remain alive, then she will go with me on a thanksgiving pilgrimage to St. Mitrofan of Voronezh. And, thank God, he recovered... ...By the way, she “fasted on Monday” for the children (fasted on Monday), but she always hid it from us. In fact, she raised and educated all six children (three in higher educational institutions, and three - in the middle). God save her!” Metropolitan Veniamin Fedchenkov. God's providence in my life

-Did you strictly fast in the old days?

Of course, but then there was a different ecology and different food. In one work from the tsarist era, an unfaithful nephew said to his aunt: “What difference does it make whether I eat ham or sturgeon balyk during Lent?” Or there is another known case when a foreigner was advised to come to Russia during Lent, when the table is the most exquisite. After all, lean food can be tasty, nutritious and healthy.

But we are very different from our ancestors in both physical and spiritual health, we have a different ecology, pace of life, overload. We are different. Therefore, one cannot literally adopt those traditions that were natural even not so long ago, even at the beginning of the twentieth century. There has been migration from the countryside to the cities, our peasantry has been destroyed, in our modern language there is no word that can be used to describe a farmer. Life has changed dramatically. That’s why the question of forms of physical fasting is so acute now: people used to have a greater margin of safety. People ate differently: milk came not from a bag, but from a cow, bread from the oven, spring water, clean air. The peasant actively owned 10,000 operations. Imagine - we will be asked to harness a horse. Repair the plow, fold the hut. How amazingly they wielded an ax!

– And if fasting is perceived even by a believer not as a sacrifice to God, but simply as a restriction established by the Church, November 28th came and that’s it, now it’s a month of no meat or milk.

– Of course, even if a person approaches fasting without the proper depth, but fasts out of obedience to the Mother Church, then he is showing obedience, and obedience is already a virtue. And if you fast unconsciously, then the Lord will compensate and give you a deep understanding of fasting.

– Father, is it right for pregnant women to limit themselves to their favorite food and eat less tasty, albeit fast food? In particular, readers remember the 8th rule of St. Timothy of Alexandria: “a wife who gave birth on the Fourth of Easter is commanded not to observe the legal fast, but to strengthen herself as much as possible by drinking wine and moderate food, for fasting was invented to curb the body, and when it is weak, it does not need curbing, but help to improve your health and regain your former strength.”

This rule says everything in accordance with high Greek learning: reinforce yourself in food, limited. If you need to eat food as medicine, eat it, or maybe you don’t need to be treated by fasting? Moreover, this rule does not cancel fasting; the reason why we fast is also indicated here: we fast in order to be able to limit our desires. But illness itself is a limitation.

Of course, in case of toxicosis - a painful condition, in case of poor health, you need to eat what the body requires. But I would like to rely on an authority quite far from pregnancy: Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov: “The bad soldier is the one who does not want to be a general. Every soldier must understand his maneuver."

Why are you fasting? If you are a mother, your task is to give birth to a healthy baby: you need to eat right, and your state should be peaceful and joyful, and it should be passed on to your child. If you don’t feel well, then eat what your body requires. And we start to get smaller - otherwise this is possible, but this? So, either you set yourself the task of giving birth to a child and more than one, or you turn fasting into pharisaical literalism. If your heart is peaceful, joyful, then the feat is correct, but if you treat God as an accountant who counts for you what you have eaten, then you are mistaken. But at the same time, it is very easy for a person to relax and give himself unnecessary indulgences. This requires self-control, church life, and reliance on the advice of a confessor and people who already have experience in this area.

– That is, the fasting person needs to walk between Scylla and Charybdis in order not to lose strength and make a sacrifice to God?

– Fasting is not a referral to the hospital! One must fast as strictly as one can realistically do.

Often believers begin to fast excessively: jealousy beyond reason, in my opinion, is associated with the loss of traditions. After all, the issues of fasting, in fact, should be decided not so much by the priest as by the traditions of the family. In a large patriarchal family, where grandparents, uncles, and aunts fasted, a child from childhood saw before himself all types of fasting, how adults fasted, how pregnant wives of older brothers fasted, and whether the sick fasted.

You need to limit yourself, especially pregnant women, wisely. For example, limit yourself from negative external impressions, the main source of which is television, from the habit of judging and picking on each other. The Apostle Paul says, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in everything” (1 Sol. 5:16-18).. If your condition is like this, your fasting is pleasing to God. If you are unable to maintain such joy, then you are not fulfilling the main task of fasting. But even if you somehow limit yourself, the Lord will reward it, He kisses your intention.

Fasting not for your own glory, but for the glory of God

Archpriest Igor Pchelintsev , clergyman of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese.

It seems to me that fasting depends on the spiritual and physical strength of the woman herself. For a church-going woman, bearing, perhaps not her first child, living in Orthodox family in the normal course of pregnancy, it is probably possible to fast according to the rules (but with the prudence that is expected in a normally churched person).

People with little church, who do not have sufficient experience of Christian life, should probably have a different measure of fasting. First, we need to think about the basics - about faith in Christ and knowledge of the Gospel. Otherwise, many want to fast (or not fast) for their own glory, and not for the glory of God, as the Apostle Paul says - “I eat for the glory of God; I do not eat, I do not eat for the glory of God.” Don’t indulge your desires in general, but don’t sew your mouth shut either - feel good about yourself and the baby.

There is no need to ask for a blessing as a sanction for fasting or for its permission. Before fasting, ask for a blessing from your confessor or parish priest. Just a blessing. There is no need for your confessor to approve a list of what to eat and what not to eat (and in what quantity) - this is simply unworthy of our church life.

From the questions asked, we see that often the problem of fasting is, first of all, a problem of nutrition, but (as is known) fasting is not only abstinence from food. The mind fasts, the human heart fasts, the tongue fasts. The patristic teaching calls for doing deeds of mercy and goodness during Lent, learning from Holy Scripture, repent of sins, pray more diligently than usual, attend divine services (if possible), receive Holy Communion. And vice versa - move away from unnecessary entertainment, vanity of mind, idle talk and other evils. All this is more important than gastronomy and much more important in general for the mother and her unborn child.

Always rejoice!

Mother Inna Viktorovna Asmus , mother of 9 children, wife of Archpriest Valentin Asmus

As St. Seraphim of Sarov said, eat what you want, just don’t eat each other. This is our main problem. I think that pregnant women should eat according to science and there is nothing wrong with a pregnant woman being craving a certain product and eating it. Fasting is a purely personal matter for each person. You just don’t need to forget about the words of the Holy Apostle Paul: “Always rejoice, thank God for everything,” and you don’t need to try to turn Christianity into something mournful.

The measure of fasting is individual

Olga Dmitrievna Getmanova, raised 9 children. In 2006 she was awarded His Holiness Patriarch Alexy "Patriarchal sign of motherhood." Wife of Roman Nikolaevich Getmanov, a famous obstetrician-gynecologist.

Fasting during pregnancy is undoubtedly individual: if you want, eat meat, if you don’t want, don’t eat. If you don’t eat meat for a month and a half, nothing will happen to you or your child. You won't be fasting all year. I myself love potatoes – I feel good with them during Lent. If you can’t live without kebabs, then eat them. And if you need dairy, eat it. Just don't overeat.

I don’t ask my confessor how exactly I should fast during pregnancy, but I know that he allows his parishioners to have dairy during Lent during pregnancy.

In fact, protein consumption is no longer during pregnancy, but during feeding - that’s when it’s tight without milk. After fasting for a week, you feel that there is noticeably less milk.

Another known fact: during the siege of Leningrad, completely exhausted women gave birth to full-fledged children. This means that they themselves take everything they need from the mother’s body. It’s the mother’s teeth that can then break and hair fall out... (Smiles)“

Abstain from what you are addicted to

Mother Elena Karpenko , mother of three children, wife of priest Dimitry Karpenko.

For a woman, pregnancy is her feat, that small sacrifice to God that she can make. You need to fast according to your own strength, because, unfortunately, modern women not so strong physically, and spiritually, I think, too. If there was a short break between pregnancies, it is very difficult to fast, I know from my own experience.

You need to eat whatever you want and limit yourself only to what is not particularly necessary. Each woman must determine her diet for herself, find the “golden mean”. For me, let’s say, such a limitation was abstaining from sweets - I must admit, this is my weakness. I know cases where women fasted throughout pregnancy, strictly observed the fast and gave birth to strong babies. That is, if you feel strong and your health allows it, then you can fast.

Fasting is a purely personal matter for everyone... The most important thing is not to get angry at others. During pregnancy, you need to abstain not from meat and yogurt, but from what you have addictions to. You can limit yourself from watching TV and idle talk. After all, try not to judge, but this is much more difficult than not eating a piece of meat.

It is best to ask questions about nutrition during pregnancy to the doctor you are seeing. It is still worth going to confession with your confessor not with questions about food, but with spiritual problems and experiences.

On Monday, February 19, Lent began for the Orthodox. For exactly 48 days, believers must abstain from animal food. But the main thing during Lent is not abstaining from food. The meaning is different. What can and cannot be done by those who decide to fast, read in our “Question and Answer” section.

How is fasting different from dieting and vegetarianism?

Some people decide to fast “for company” or “out of curiosity” and give up meat, dairy products and alcohol for 48 days. But fasting is not primarily abstinence from food, but spiritual cleansing. A person gets rid of sins and passions, learns to sacrifice himself, and shows humility. Lent is a time when Orthodox Christians take care of the soul, not the body.

At this time, a person must truly work to change his soul. So during fasting it is necessary not only to give up animal food, but also from entertainment activities, social networks, TV and so on. Go to church, read the Bible, spend more time with your family.

The main thing in a diet is to give up any food, reduce the number of calories and lose weight. Vegetarianism also has nothing to do with fasting. The main idea here is that killing a living being is an imprint on karma. Moreover, vegetarianism is a year-round concept.

Is it possible to baptize children during Lent?

Children and adults can be baptized at any time, including during Lent.

Is it possible to play sports during fasting?

The question is ambiguous. Sport itself is not prohibited during Lent. However, some representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church believe that at this time it is better to engage with the soul, and physical activity can be postponed. If you are a professional athlete and this is primarily work for you, then you can leave training.

If you come to fitness centers for socializing, beautiful photos and entertainment, then the opinion here is clear: it’s better to forget about it until the end of the post.

But when it comes to health, for example, rehabilitation after surgery or injury, then physical exercise are not prohibited.

Is it possible to smoke during Lent?

No, smoking is an addiction, an indulgence. If you are a heavy smoker, then the beginning of Lent is the time to give up smoking once and for all.

Is it possible to go to a cemetery during Lent?

As for the desire to visit the deceased in the cemetery during Lent, there are no strict prohibitions. allocated by the Church special days commemoration of the dead, they are called " Parents' Saturdays"They are also needed so that the living do not forget about the dead.

Related materials

Why do people give up meat, eggs and dairy products during Lent?

Our ancestors did not serve meat on the table every day. This dish was prepared on holidays. Therefore, giving up animal products was equivalent to giving up self-indulgence for people.

Who should not fast?

It is forbidden to fast for children, the elderly, or people for whom refusal of certain foods could harm their health or aggravate their illness. Contraindications for fasting include diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, gastritis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, enteritis and many other diseases.

Related materials

Are there any concessions for travelers?

Yes, travelers can deviate from the rules; they are allowed to eat animal products. However, historically, indulgence was given to wanderers due to the fact that it was difficult to find food on the road. Find it today Lenten food traveling is not that difficult.

Is it possible to have sex during fasting?

Intimate relationships during Lent are a very delicate and personal issue. Fasting involves abstaining from married life. But here both partners must agree to abstain. If a couple does not know what to do, then they should seek help from a spiritual mentor.

Text: Evgenia Bagma

Fasting is always a limitation. Moreover, not only in food, but also in habits and even entertainment. However, there is nothing extra in such abstinence - people have been observing Lent for centuries and the fact that something cannot be eaten or something cannot be done does not frighten them.

What food is not allowed during fasting?

Lent consists of many prohibitions, many different “don’ts,” which is quite logical. What not to do during fasting to eat? You should deny yourself the following products:

• animal products (meat, fish, chicken, milk, eggs);


• white bread, buns;


• candies;


• mayonnaise.

Also most During Lent you will not be able to cook or eat food with oil. However, there are also relaxations - on the twelve holidays (Annunciation and Palm Sunday) it is allowed to eat fish, on Lazarus Saturday (the eve of Palm Sunday) fish caviar. In general, fasting can be either strict or non-strict. In the second case, secular people are allowed to eat fish or add oil to their food.

What should you not do during Lent?

It cannot be said that the dietary component is the basis of fasting; on the contrary, the basis of fasting is its spiritual part. Thus, the meaning of Lent is repentance, which requires restrictions in habits and lifestyle. Therefore, there are certain recommendations regarding what not to do during Lent:

• you cannot smoke or drink alcoholic beverages (except for wine on permitted days and in permitted quantities);


• it is advisable to limit social communication and external impressions, for example, you should not go to the cinema, you should not attend concerts, it is better to reduce your TV viewing, etc.;


• Marital abstinence is recommended during fasting.

Lent is a time when a Christian frees his body and soul from various earthly needs that enslave his spirit. Therefore, it is important to remember not only what you should not eat during fasting, but also what you should not do during fasting. It is not enough to simply “go on a diet,” since truly Orthodox fasting is both physical and spiritual abstinence.

Any fast, if done correctly, brings only benefits to the body.

However, many still perceive fasting as a kind of punishment, which is fundamentally wrong.

If you know how to eat properly during Lent, then this period will fly by for you.

In addition, you will be surprised how many interesting and varied dishes you can prepare during Lent.

Fasting for Orthodox Christians - what is it?

Fasting is a temporary, voluntary restriction or complete refusal of fast food, as well as a struggle with one’s passions. At this time, you need to refrain not only from fast food, but also from attending entertainment events and establishments of this kind. This is our gratitude to God for his great Sacrifice. Fasting is a kind of treatment that is designed to pacify and lighten the body, as well as disarm passions and curb desires. Today, more and more people are trying to fast, but, unfortunately, many perceive it as a diet, which is fundamentally wrong. Fasting is much more than just not eating. As John of Damascus wrote: “If fasting was all about food, then cows would be holy.”

In fasting, as in everything else, you need to know when to stop. There is no need to rush from one extreme to another. Before you start fasting, consult your confessor or priest. And of course, fasting should not be a shortcut to the hospital.

In Orthodoxy there are four multi-day fasts:

Great, Petrov, Assumption and Nativity fasts.

Wednesday and Friday.

One-day posts:

Fasts are appointed on the eve of any holiday or in honor of it.

Lent gives every Orthodox person the opportunity to prepare for Easter. Christ prayed in the desert for forty days, after which he was betrayed and accepted martyrdom on the cross, thereby saving the entire human race from sin. The Orthodox, observing this fast, seem to walk this entire path together with Christ. This is one of the strictest fasts.

When the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, they dispersed to preach the Gospel throughout the world, constantly being in labor, prayer and fasting. In honor of this event, it was appointed Petrov post. After all, every Orthodox person must preach with his life Orthodox faith.

Dormition post dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It allows all Orthodox Christians to prepare for the great feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, who, in preparation for meeting her Son, prayed and fasted a lot. This post is equal in severity to the Great Fast.

Christmas post- the last one of the year. It was established so that every Orthodox Christian cleanses his soul through fasting, repentance and prayer. We must meet the Savior who came into the world with a pure soul and heart in order to show our desire to follow the teachings of Christ.

How to fast correctly: rules, behavior, church attendance

There are several basic rules that should be followed to understand how to fast correctly.

1. Before you start fasting, you need to understand that abstaining from food is a tool with which a person fights his sins. You need to abstain from food, and not exhaust yourself and your body. You must soberly assess your strength depending on your preparation for fasting and your state of health.

2. Fasting requires gradual entry and preparation. Start preparing for it by abstaining from fast food on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year.

3. For those who wish to fast for the first time, it is recommended to first talk with the priest, tell him about your physical and mental state and ask for a blessing to observe the fast.

4. It is advisable to attend all church services which are performed during fasting. However to modern man It is quite difficult to follow this rule, especially for those who constantly work. But still, try to attend the evening service on Saturday and, of course, Sunday services.

5. During Great Lent, and now other Lents, the sacrament of Unction is performed in churches, which no Orthodox person should miss if he decides to fast. The time of this sacrament must be known in advance, since different temples it is held in different time. After the rite of Unction, at the first opportunity it is necessary to take communion.

6. Simply abstaining from food without prayer will not benefit the soul. Moreover, it can be harmful if a person, abstaining from fast food, begins to rise above others. Orthodox man During fasting, one must devote oneself to prayer, abstaining from passions and vices, repentance, doing good deeds, forgiving offenses, watching less TV and attending entertainment events.

7. Recently, more and more often the statement has begun to be heard that it is supposedly not necessary to abstain from fast food, the main thing is to do good deeds and not offend anyone. It may be true, but it is impossible to humble your spirit without measuring your body. As mentioned above, you should not go from one extreme to another. Abstinence and good deeds during fasting should be inseparable.

8. Lent is a time of reconciliation. Try to improve relationships with your friends and loved ones if you were previously in conflict.

9. In addition to abstaining from food, every Christian should concentrate his energies on good deeds. Do your best to help everyone in need. This can be not only a material sacrifice, but also your work and care for those who need it.

10. Every person knows about his weaknesses. Fasting is exactly the time when you can start fighting them. For example, try to overcome bad habits. Of course, this cannot be done without prayer. Devote every free minute to prayer and reading the Gospel.

How to eat properly during Lent: when and what can you eat?

There are several types of fasting:

— strict fast– refusal of any food and drinks, except simple ones drinking water;

— xerophagy– eating plant foods in their natural form, without cooking them;

— eating boiled food- it is allowed to eat plant foods, having previously prepared them, but without seasoning them with oil;

— eating boiled food with oil— it is allowed to cook vegetable foods with the addition of vegetable oil;

— eating fish– not only cooked plant foods are allowed, but also fish and seafood.

The Church clearly defines what nutritional rules must be followed on certain days. Let's look at them in detail for each multi-day post:

1. Lent.

First and Holy Week Lent is the strictest fast, only raw food without oil or complete refusal of food is allowed.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday – raw vegetables.

Tuesday and Thursday - dishes without oil. Boiled dishes from vegetables, legumes, mushrooms and cereals.

Saturday and Sunday – adding oil is allowed. Boiled or steamed foods.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - fish dishes are allowed.

Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday - fish caviar and boiled dishes with butter are allowed.

Good Friday– complete refusal to eat until the shroud is removed.

2. Petrov post.

Throughout Lent, with the exception of Monday, Wednesday and Friday, you can eat fish dishes.

Monday – preparation without oil. Hot dishes.

Wednesday and Friday – raw food diet.

On other days, you can cook dishes with the addition of oil. Mushroom, vegetable, fish dishes and porridges.

Nativity of John the Baptist - fish dishes are allowed.

3. Assumption Fast. The duration of the fast is only two weeks, but in severity it is equal to the Great Fast.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday – raw food diet.

Tuesday and Thursday – cooking without oil. Boiled dishes from cereals, legumes, vegetables and mushrooms.

Saturday and Sunday – cooking boiled dishes with butter.

Transfiguration of the Lord - fish dishes are allowed.

4. Nativity Fast. Until December 19, the rules for eating are the same as the rules during Peter's Fast.

On the days of the feasts of St. Nicholas and the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary, fish dishes are allowed.

Fish is prohibited in last week post.

On Wednesday and Friday, Orthodox Christians fast, remembering the betrayal of Judas and the martyrdom of Christ.

Of course, it is very difficult to follow all these rules, especially for those who decided to fast for the first time. Therefore, before each fast, it is necessary to communicate with the priest and take his blessing.

Foods that should not be consumed on any fasting days:

- any meat and offal;

- animal fat, margarine and butter;

— fermented milk and dairy products;

- mayonnaise;

- fish and seafood (except certain days when allowed).

Products that are allowed to be consumed during fasting:

- fruits and vegetables;

- greenery;

- vegetable oil;

- cereals and cereal flakes;

- herbs and spices;

- legumes;

- Soy meat.

As you can see, during Lent there is enough big choice products from which you can prepare many tasty and healthy Lenten dishes.

How to fast correctly during Lent: who can be allowed relief

There are certain categories of people who are allowed some relaxations in fasting, or who are not recommended to fast at all. These categories include:

1. Children under 7 years of age. At this age, the body is actively developing, so do not exclude fish and meat from your child’s diet. You can replace some of these products with vegetable proteins: buckwheat, legumes, nuts and mushrooms.

2. Pregnant and lactating women. Women during pregnancy and breastfeeding are allowed to eat eggs, dairy products and fish.

3. People who have suffered serious illnesses. To restore strength, such people need amino acids and fats.

4. People suffering from chronic diseases.

5. Travelers and people who work hard physically.

If you are fasting for the first time, you can give yourself some slight indulgences by consulting with a priest first.

If you didn’t keep your fast: what punishment should you give yourself?

This question torments those who tried to keep the fast, but at some point broke down. In fact, only your priest can give you a punishment for this. He can assign you a reading. Penitential Canon for several days or certain work, for example, caring for elderly or sick people. That is, with some of their own good deeds atone for this sin.

In fact, observing fasting is very individual. Even if you give up, for example, only meat, this is already good. After all, one person has enough willpower to immediately hold a strict fast, but another will not be able to do it, and he will begin to grumble. Today you will give up meat, and by the next fast you will give up milk. If it’s easier for you, you can gradually give up fast food.

Posting calendar for 2016

Every Wednesday and Friday, except Weeks.

Now you know how to fast correctly. Begin your feat by fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays. Today on the Internet you can find a lot of interesting recipes for fast days. And remember that simply abstaining from food, without limiting yourself in anything else, is not fasting, but a diet! Enjoy your post!