What can you eat before Easter? Last week of Lent. What foods are allowed during fasting?

Before Easter the longest and strict fast, during which the consumption of many foods is prohibited. But fasting is not only about dietary restrictions! This is immersion in one’s spirituality, rethinking one’s actions and correcting mistakes. Fasting is a period in a person’s life when he needs to show patience and understanding, wisdom and meekness when communicating with loved ones, acquaintances and strangers. What else do you need to know about fasting before Easter?

Fasting is important not only in the physical sense, but also in the spiritual sense.

Peculiarities of Easter Lent

Fasting is not a diet. Yes, many foods are prohibited for consumption - and therefore fasting is not available to some groups of people:

• Pregnant women and nursing mothers;
• Children and adolescents under 14 years of age;
• People suffering from chronic diseases gastrointestinal tract, stomach ulcers, gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, anemia, diabetes and immune system disorders;
• For those who are recovering from a serious illness or surgery;
• For those who do heavy work physical labor, tense sports training or increased mental work.

What foods are prohibited for those who can and want to fast?

1. Any meat products and those that contain meat.
2. Any dairy and dairy products, including powdered milk and ice cream.
3. Eggs and all products containing eggs.
4. Any baked goods and everything confectionery, including White bread and buns.
5. Alcohol, chocolate, fast food, mayonnaise.

Products that can be consumed during fasting:

• Plant foods are the basis of fasting. All vegetables and fruits, boiled, stewed and raw, are allowed, as well as dried fruits, pickled, salted and pickled vegetables, mushrooms, nuts and seeds.
• Teas, herbal infusions, fruit compotes and jelly.
• Porridge with water, black and gray bread, crackers and dry bread (unsweetened and savory).
• Fish, seafood, caviar and vegetable oil.
• For sweets, you can eat jam and fruit.

Fish is allowed during the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th weeks of fasting on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. On Sundays it is also allowed to eat fish and seafood. In addition, fish is eaten on Palm Sunday and the Annunciation. On Lazarus Saturday, on the eve of Palm Sunday, it is customary to eat caviar. It is best to cook fish boiled, baked or stewed - and certainly without creamy, sour cream and milk sauces and gravies. On Great Good Friday it is customary not to eat anything at all, but to drink only water.

All meat products are prohibited, fish is allowed on certain days

If it is difficult for you to do a fasting day on the water, you are allowed to eat nuts, raw fruits and dried fruits, as well raw vegetables without vegetable oil. On Holy Saturday (before Easter) boiled food without vegetable oil is allowed. On other days, you need to eat hot first and second courses daily - lean soups and borscht, porridge with water, stewed vegetable stews. Hot food is necessary for normal bowel function and healthy peristalsis.

Don't worry about the lack of animal protein in your diet - protein from legume products. Dishes made from peas, beans, lentils and soybeans will help meet the body's need for protein. Jerusalem artichoke is very useful - it supplies the carbohydrate inulin to the body. Porridge, grains and potatoes are sources of starch, protein and carbohydrates. Cranberries are a supplier of benzoic acid, nuts are a supplier of protein and fat, and rosehip infusions, bell peppers, lemons and all citrus fruits are responsible for vitamin C.

Vegetable oils are rich in vitamins E, F, K, and their fats are well absorbed by the body. Plant products will not leave your body without essential microelements, but the fasting diet does not contain enough vitamins A and D, and does not contain vitamin B12 at all, so doctors recommend taking additional vitamins and microelements. Just don’t prescribe them for yourself - it’s better to visit your doctor and listen to his recommendations.

The transition from fasting to celebrating Easter must be careful!

It is he who will decide what suits your age and physical condition. If you stick to your diet correctly, during fasting you can not only lose overweight, but also normalize blood pressure, cholesterol levels and many vital important processes. You should also pay attention to breaking the fast - after a strict diet, you should not indulge in an abundance of meat and fish delicacies, baked goods, sweets and fatty dishes, flavored with sauces.

Such a powerful food shock can disrupt the work digestive system. On the first Easter day, it is allowed to supplement the Lenten diet with 1-2 eggs, a piece cottage cheese casserole and a slice of butter cake. In the first 4 days, it is forbidden to eat chips, sweet straws, salty crackers, sweet and salty nuts, strong tea and coffee, as well as any carbonated drinks (especially sweet ones).

You should also avoid eating fish and meat. fatty varieties, herring, smoked meats, lard, thick creamy sauces, sour cream, confectionery with creamy or butter cream. Use any product in minimum quantity and try not to overeat. The same goes for alcohol - use moderation in everything. Easter lasts a whole week, and you will definitely try all the goodies, just not all at once!

Lent in 2018 starts on Monday, February 19th. We'll tell you what you can eat during Lent before Easter according to the monastic rules, and how to eat it correctly.

Lent in Orthodoxy serves as the preparation of the soul for the celebration of Easter, which in 2018 falls on April 8.

According to church regulations, during Lent it is forbidden to eat products of animal origin - meat, milk, eggs, fish. But some days there may be relaxations. The Great Lent Nutrition Calendar, which is published on this page, will help you keep your fast correctly. This is a period of humility of the soul and renunciation of bodily joys.

Orthodoxy has special dietary rules during Lent.

How to eat healthy during Lent - 2018

Lent is considered strict. According to church regulations, during Lent it is forbidden to eat products of animal origin, such as meat, milk, eggs and fish. Accordingly, derivatives from these products, such as sour cream, cottage cheese and others, are also prohibited.

Moreover, according to the strict monastic rules, from Monday to Friday, if there is no holiday on these days, they also do not eat vegetable oil! Refusal of oil is dry eating, that is, eating without “oil,” as the clergy call oil. On Saturdays and Sundays of fasting, vegetable oil is allowed.

During Lent you are allowed to eat fish only twice: on the Annunciation Holy Mother of God and on Palm Sunday. On Lazarus Saturday you can eat caviar.

The strictest fast falls on the first day of Lent - Clean Monday - and the penultimate day - Good Friday. It is recommended to spend these days without food!

How to properly observe Lent in 2018

When planning to observe Lent, we must remember that the purpose of refusing food is not to harm the body, but only to tame desires. Therefore, fasting is softened in relation to the sick, pregnant and lactating women, as well as travelers - those who undergo additional physical activity during this period.

We must remember that the rules of Lent do not apply to medications because they are not food. For example, if your doctor prescribed you special diet, which uses butter, milk or eggs, then you cannot refuse it during fasting. By eating all these foods, a sick person does not indulge in gluttony, but is healed!

Remember that, according to doctors, Fasting is strictly contraindicated for people with stomach ulcers, gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, renal failure . In addition, patients with metabolic disorders, suffering from diseases such as diabetes, pancreatitis, gout, anemia, transition to plant foods can also be dangerous.

Consult with both your doctor and priest, tell them about your spiritual and physical condition and ask for blessings for fasting in one form or another.

What you can eat during Lent in 2018 by day: nutrition calendar

February 20 – Tuesday. Refrain from food. For those who have health problems, as well as for the elderly, bread and kvass are allowed on Tuesday after Vespers. You can eat bread with salt and drink water or kvass (optional)

February 21 – Wednesday. Dry eating: bread, water, herbs, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (one dish to choose from). Dill infusion or decoction of berries/fruits with honey. Food is taken once a day, during the day.

February 24 – Saturday. Baked or boiled food with vegetable oil twice a day. Olives and black olives are acceptable. Allowed in small quantities is grape wine without alcohol and sugar, diluted in hot water, but abstinence from wine is recommended.

February 25 – Hot food, passed heat treatment, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. With vegetable oil and wine (one bowl 200g) twice a day. Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, mostly diluted hot water. At the same time, abstaining from wine is highly commendable.

February 26 – Monday. Dry eating: bread, water, greens, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (for example: raisins, olives, nuts, figs - one of these every time). Once a day, around 15.00.

February 27 – Tuesday. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. No oil. Once a day, around 15.00.

February 28 – Wednesday. Dry eating: bread, water, greens, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (for example: raisins, olives, nuts, figs - one of these every time). Once a day, around 15.00.

March 1 – Thursday. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. With vegetable oil and wine (one bowl 200 g). Once a day, around 15.00. Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, preferably diluted with hot water. At the same time, abstaining from wine is highly commendable.

March 2 – Friday. Dry eating: bread, water, greens, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (for example: raisins, olives, nuts, figs - one of these every time). Once a day, around 15.00.

March 3 – Saturday. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. With vegetable oil and wine (one bowl 200g) twice a day. Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, preferably diluted with hot water. At the same time, abstaining from wine is highly commendable.

March 4 – Sunday. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. With vegetable oil

March 5 – Monday. Dry eating: bread, water, greens, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (for example: raisins, olives, nuts, figs - one of these every time). Once a day, around 15.00.

March 6 – Tuesday. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. No oil. Once a day, around 15.00.

March 7 – Wednesday. Dry eating: bread, water, greens, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (for example: raisins, olives, nuts, figs - one of these every time). Once a day, around 15.00.

March 8 – Thursday. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. No oil. Once a day, around 15.00.

March 9 – Friday. Finding the head of John the Baptist (first and second discovery) - Orthodox holiday in honor of the most revered part of the relics of John the Baptist - his head. Dry eating: bread, water, greens, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (for example: raisins, olives, nuts, figs - one of these every time). Once a day, around 15.00.

March 10 – Saturday. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. With vegetable oil and wine (one bowl 200g) twice a day. Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, preferably diluted with hot water. At the same time, abstaining from wine is highly commendable.

March 11 – Sunday. The third week of Lent (third Sunday day of fasting) is the Worship of the Cross. On this day, they read traditions, consecrate prosphyra, do not work, visit churches to venerate the cross, reflect on the concept of “carrying one’s cross,” and fast (with the consumption of boiled oil and wine).

March 12 – Monday. Dry eating: bread, water, greens, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (for example: raisins, olives, nuts, figs - one of these every time). Once a day, around 15.00.

March 13 – Tuesday. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. No oil. Once a day, around 15.00.

March 15 – Thursday. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. No oil. Once a day, around 15.00.

March 16 – Friday. Dry eating: bread, water, greens, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (for example: raisins, olives, nuts, figs - one of these every time). Once a day, around 15.00.

March 17 – Saturday. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. With vegetable oil and wine (one bowl 200g) twice a day. Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, preferably diluted with hot water. At the same time, abstaining from wine is highly commendable.

March 18 – Sunday. Fourth week of Lent (fourth Sunday of fasting). Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. With vegetable oil and wine (one bowl 200g) twice a day. Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, preferably diluted with hot water. At the same time, abstaining from wine is highly commendable.

March 19 – Monday. Dry eating: bread, water, greens, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (for example: raisins, olives, nuts, figs - one of these every time). Once a day, around 15.00.

March 20 – Tuesday. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. No oil. Once a day, around 15.00.

March 21 – Wednesday. Dry eating: bread, water, greens, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (for example: raisins, olives, nuts, figs - one of these every time). Once a day, around 15.00.

March 22 – Thursday. Memorial Day of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. Standing Rev. Mary of Egypt. On Standing Rev. Mary of Egypt - hot food without oil.

March 23 – Friday Dry eating: bread, water, herbs, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (for example: raisins, olives, nuts, figs – one of these every time). Once a day, around 15.00.

March 24 – Saturday. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. With vegetable oil and wine (one bowl 200g) twice a day. Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, preferably diluted with hot water. At the same time, abstaining from wine is highly commendable.

March 25 – Sunday. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. With vegetable oil and wine (one bowl 200g) twice a day. Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, preferably diluted with hot water. At the same time, abstaining from wine is highly commendable.

March 26 – Monday. Dry eating: bread, water, greens, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (for example: raisins, olives, nuts, figs - one of these every time). Once a day, around 15.00.

March 27 – Tuesday. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. No oil. Once a day, around 15.00.

March 28 – Wednesday. Dry eating: bread, water, greens, raw, dried or soaked vegetables and fruits (for example: raisins, olives, nuts, figs - one of these every time). Once a day, around 15.00.

March 29 – Thursday. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. No oil. Once a day, around 15.00.

March 31 – Saturday. Lazarev Saturday. Fish caviar up to 100 grams is allowed. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. With vegetable oil and wine (one bowl 200g) twice a day. Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, preferably diluted with hot water. At the same time, abstaining from wine is highly commendable.

April 1 – Sunday. Sixth week of Lent (sixth Sunday of fasting). Fish is allowed. Hot food that has been cooked, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. With vegetable oil and wine (one bowl 200g) twice a day. Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, preferably diluted with hot water. At the same time, abstaining from wine is highly commendable.

Great Lent: what it is and what food can be consumed, what should be the menu for Lent before Easter. Ordinary people have different attitudes to fasting: some consider their observance optional, others - that fasting is a diet, others live at this time according to almost monastic strict rules... In fact, Lent, however, like any other, is the cleansing of the soul from bad thoughts. Its basis is not at all exhaustion of the body, but abstinence from abundant food. Lent is the preparatory period before the celebration of one of the most important Christian holidays.

It is generally accepted that Easter post- this is a long 40 days of carrot and beet cutlets, empty potatoes and porridge and sauerkraut with cucumbers. But it's not that scary at all! The list of allowed dishes includes lasagna and spaghetti, you can enjoy pizza, dumplings, and pies... But milk, meat, eggs, cheese and cottage cheese will have to be excluded from the menu. During the fast before Easter, fish is allowed only twice: on the Annunciation and on Palm Sunday, and vegetable oil is allowed only on weekends. In the first and last weeks, it is recommended to eat foods that do not require cooking, such as vegetables. But on the remaining days of fasting, even the cooks of the monasteries claim that you need to eat familiar dishes, that is Lenten menu should not be radically different from usual. Please cook and eat your favorite stuffed peppers, spaghetti (just don’t put eggs in the dough), borscht (mushroom or bean), pilaf, pancakes or dumplings, but vegetarian. And remember that everyone can and should balance the observance of Orthodox canons during the days of fasting before Easter with the state of their own health.

So, let's talk about what you can eat during Lent before Easter. IN " wet days", that is, during the first and last weeks of fasting, you should eat only thermally unprocessed food, that is raw food and lean bread. These are the harshest days - you can’t even drink hot tea or compote. But all kinds of salads and vegetable slices with bread are quite suitable. The menu on such days may also include fruit salads consisting of sliced ​​pears and apples, persimmons and tangerines-oranges, grapes and kiwi... As a dressing - liquid honey and/or Orange juice. All this is eaten with lean bread. Great breakfast or dinner!

By the way, you can add any of your favorite nuts to this salad: walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts... And there’s no need to talk about the benefits of fruit-nut-honey mixtures; you can eat them every day.

Can be cooked cold tomato soup"gazpacho". Mix half a liter in a blender tomato juice, about a kilogram fresh tomatoes, a couple of cucumbers and a couple of onions, Bulgarian Bell pepper, a clove of garlic with two or three sprigs of celery, fresh sprigs of basil and parsley. Everything needs to be salted and pepper to taste and served with lean bread. By the way, if you don’t want to use tomatoes (after all, in winter they are expensive and not particularly tasty), you can use more tomato juice, preferably homemade.

Dishes for ordinary days

Mostly in fast days You can eat exclusively vegetarian food without oil (including without vegetable oil). For breakfast, you can prepare, for example, delicious porridge.

You will need:

• apple juice (preferably homemade) - 1 glass;
• water - 1 glass;
• rice (preferably brown, long, but regular rice will do) - 300 g;
• seedless raisins - 100 g;
• cinnamon - 1.5-2 tsp.

Pour the juice and water into a saucepan, add rice, raisins, and cinnamon. Cover with a lid, put on low heat and cook. After 40 minutes, turn it off, but do not remove the lid - let it brew. Before serving, you can decorate the dish with pieces of fruit; it will not only be beautiful, but also healthy!

You can have lunch with Lenten borscht with sauerkraut and mushrooms:

• beets - 120 g;
• sauerkraut - 60 g;
• dried white mushrooms - 15 g;
• onion - 1 large;
• carrot - 1 medium;
• flour - 5 g;
• vegetable oil - 25 g;
• tomato paste - 25 g;
• bay leaf, allspice, parsley;
• salt - to your taste.

Wash and boil the mushrooms - we get broth and soft mushrooms. Chop the carrots, onions and beets and sauté in oil with salted cabbage. At the end of the sauteing process, add flour. Pour the vegetables with mushroom broth, add a bay leaf, allspice and tomato paste. Fry the chopped mushrooms in vegetable oil and also add them to the borscht. A small amount of oil for sautéing is acceptable. After this, cook the borscht for another half hour. Grate the separately cooked beets and at the end of half an hour add them to the borscht. Bring to a boil and turn off. When serving, sprinkle the borscht with parsley for beauty and aroma.

You can serve cabbage salad for dinner. Even from several of its types: kohlrabi, red cabbage, Brussels sprouts or kelp ( seaweed). Cut the cabbage, mix with grated carrots, canned corn And bell pepper. This dish is very tasty with lean bread and boiled potatoes, sprinkled with aromatic fresh dill.

Dishes for the weekend

During these periods, you can use any vegetable oil and seafood when cooking. For example, on the weekend you can treat yourself and your loved ones with a honey gingerbread:

• sugar - 1 glass
• water - 1 glass;
• vegetable oil - half a glass;
• honey - 2 tbsp. l.;
• soda - 1 tsp;
• cocoa - 2 tbsp. l.;
• coriander and cinnamon - a pinch each;
• half a glass of nuts;
• kishmisha - half a glass;
• baking powder - 0.5 tsp;
• flour - 1.5-2 cups.

Mix and grind sugar with water and vegetable oil. Heat this mass a little and add honey to it. Separately, you need to mix soda with cocoa and add a pinch of coriander and cinnamon. Then combine both mixtures, grind until completely homogeneous, then add half a glass of chopped nuts and the same amount of sultanas, as well as baking powder and flour. The result should be a dough with the consistency of thick sour cream. Bake for half an hour at 200° C.

This gingerbread can be cut crosswise into layers and spread with any jam - you get a pie. Carpet pie is especially tasty with rosehip infusion.

Pancakes with soda will delight the kids:

• flour - 2 cups;
• salt - 1 tsp;
• sugar - 4 tsp;
• sparkling mineral water - 2.5 glasses.

Sift the flour, add salt and sugar, pour in the soda and knead the dough, which has a consistency similar to sour cream. Cover it with film and leave it warm for about 40 minutes. Bake the pancakes in vegetable oil and serve on the table, topped with honey and/or jam.

You can also make a transformable pie with mushrooms. Chop and fry a large onion in vegetable oil, and then add a couple of carrots. average size, a few sprigs of celery and half a kilo of chopped champignons. In the same frying pan (or saucepan) you need to pour a liter jar of tomatoes into own juice and simmer for another half hour. We put part of the finished filling in a frying pan, on top - plates of puff pastry (store-bought is quite suitable), then again the filling, then again plates. 4-6 layers are enough. Bake the mushroom pie for about 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C.

On February 19, Lent begins, a special period for Christians on the eve of the holiday of the Holy Resurrection of Christ. It ends this year on April 7, the Feast of the Annunciation.

IN Christian Church fasting makes sense as a limitation in bodily pleasures and mental entertainment. The essence of Great Lent is not in abstinence itself, but in the fact that this is done for the sake of obedience and fidelity to the covenants of the Savior.

Lent consists of Holy Lent and Holy Week. It was installed in memory of the 40-day fast of Jesus Christ, who retired to the desert for this purpose after baptism. Each week of Lent has its own name:

• 1 week of the Triumph of Orthodoxy,
• 2nd – St. Gregory Palamas,
• 3rd – Week of Cross Worship,
• 4th – week of St. John Climacus,
• 5th – Venerable Mary of Egypt,
• 6th – flowering week. It ends with the day of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem, where He went to suffer and death on the cross. This day is also called Palm Sunday.

Holy Pentecost ends and Holy Week begins, which is dedicated to remembrance last days earthly life of Jesus Christ, His suffering on the Cross, death and burial.

Everyone already knows that during Lent they do not eat meat and dairy products, eggs, and fish.

The Great Lent calendar, which we post on our page above, is given taking into account the long-standing tradition accepted in monasteries, according to the Church Charter. It is better to determine the extent of personal fasting in consultation with a priest. However, remember that fasting is not only a restriction in food, quantity and quality, it is just a means to pacify the flesh.

If you approach your diet wisely during Lent, then, firstly, you will not have to go hungry, and secondly, even during the period of strict fasting, nutrition can be quite varied and balanced.

So, the main products allowed during fasting:

• Black bread, cereal crispbread.
• Cereals (oatmeal, buckwheat, rice, corn, wheat, barley)
• Salted and pickled vegetables, berry and fruit jam.
• Mushrooms of various preparations.
• Legumes (beans, lentils, peas)
• Dried fruits, nuts, honey.
• Seasonal vegetables (potatoes, beets, carrots, onions, cabbage, radishes, etc.)
• Fruits in season (apples, bananas, grant, oranges, etc.)
• Fish is allowed to be consumed twice during the entire fast. On the feast of the Annunciation (in 2016 it falls on April 7) and Palm Sunday (April 24, 2016)

The first week of fasting (the most strict). It is important to enter the fast correctly on the eve of the start. It is also important to know the personal contraindications, who should not fast.

Above we described one week, how, according to all the rules and canons, fasting should be observed; this is more acceptable for monks, or for people who strictly observe all the regulations of the church. If you decide to fast for the first time, then you should not take it upon yourself excessive loads! It is quite possible, for example, to eat oil.

Here sample menu, which you can take as a basis by adding or replacing certain dishes:

In the subsequent fifth and sixth weeks of fasting, you can repeat your menu as in the second and third weeks.

The sixth Sunday of Great Lent falls on the celebration of the Lord's entry into Jerusalem, or it is also called Palm Sunday. On this day you can eat fish, food with butter, and consume a little Cahors.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - dry eating. Thursday you can eat warm food, but cooked without oil, and only once a day. On Friday only bread and water. Eating is prohibited on Saturday.

And finally, Sunday, the end of the strictest fast falls on the celebration Happy Easter.

It is important to watch this video for your safety!

It is worth noting that if you decide to fast for the first time, it is recommended to talk with a priest and decide for yourself the severity of fasting, because you need to understand the very important truth that the main purpose of fasting is not food restriction, but humility and repentance, prayer!

Since the time of the apostles, Christians have spent the week before Easter in prayer, abstinence, and deeds of mercy and virtue. This is the time for repentance. In Greek, “repentance” means “change of mind.” That is, Christians are given time to change their lifestyle, thoughts, and actions. Overcome your own “I”, take it out of Lent into your daily life all the best.

A next post will bring something of its own, new and important. It is not for nothing that the holy elders believed that fasts are stairs that lead to the Kingdom of Heaven. Good deeds are one of the steps of such a ladder. The Bible has these words about good works: “A good deed is prayer with fasting and almsgiving and justice.”

Fasting in Orthodoxy is a temporary dietary restriction, the main objective which is the renunciation of worldly, bodily pleasures in favor of the soul. It is Lent that is the longest: total days is at least 40, since according to legend Christ fasted in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights.

In fact, the duration may vary depending on the rules in a particular denomination: for example, in Orthodoxy the total number of days is 48: 6 weeks and also Holy Week - the last week before Easter (in fact it is 6 days, since Bright Resurrection not included there). The entire period is divided into 4 key stages:

1. Lent is the first 40 days, the main stage of Lent.
2. Lazarus Saturday is the day before Palm Sunday, when, according to legend, Christ raised his friend Lazarus from the dead.
3. Palm Sunday is the day when the Lord entered Jerusalem. The holiday is celebrated exactly one week before Easter.
4. Holy Week - Lately life of Christ on earth, week before Easter. During this period, the most stringent dietary restrictions are expected - mainly dry eating (consumption plant products without heat treatment or any fat).

Fasting = diet?

There is a rather simplistic opinion that fasting can be considered a uniquely Orthodox diet. The similarity here is only external: indeed, in both cases people consciously make significant restrictions on food. However, the meaning of such decisions is different. The diet is aimed at healing the body, improving appearance, formation of attractive body contours. Fasting helps believers come into contact with the suffering of Christ and thereby pay the Savior a well-deserved tribute of respect.

How to eat during Lent: step-by-step instructions by day

General nutritional rules for all 7 weeks (6 weeks and Holy Week) are described in the table.

What is dry eating

Dry eating (or dry eating) is a diet in which all foods plant origin shall not pass heat treatment(cooking, frying, stewing, baking). That is vegetable dishes consumed raw or pickled, pickled, pickled, etc. The intake of vegetable oil of any origin is, as a rule, also excluded. The only sweets allowed are honey. Any hot drinks are also excluded. Bread (but not sweet pastries) is allowed.

Authorized Products

Allowed products include only food of plant origin. Sometimes you can add vegetable oil to it (sunflower, olive, corn, etc.), but not every day (see table):

• any types of bread;
• any types of cereals;
• vegetables in any form;
• mushrooms in any form;
• legumes (good substitute meat protein);
• dried fruits, nuts, honey;
• jam (not consumed during Holy Week);
• fruits in any form.

Prohibited Products

Any products of animal origin are prohibited, including:

• meat in any form;
• fish in any form (except for Palm Sunday);
• caviar in any form (except for Lazarus Saturday);
• all dairy products;
• eggs of any birds;
• offal (liver, kidneys, hearts, etc.);
• animal fats (butter, ghee, lard, etc.).

Who is allowed dietary restrictions?

1. Pregnant and lactating women.
2. Small children.
3. Men who work hard physical labor and therefore need a constant supply of protein.
4. Aged people.
5. People with poor health ( chronic diseases digestive system, after surgery, etc.).

You need to check with your doctor, as well as with your priest, exactly which relaxations are allowed. In any case, you cannot torture your body: it is unacceptable to undermine your health for the sake of fasting.

If you didn’t make it, does that mean you’re late?

Even if a person has not started fasting from the very beginning, he can join it from any moment. The priests themselves often talk about this. For example, you can endure at least Holy Week (the last 6 days before Easter).

How to behave during Lent: 7 useful tips

During the entire period of restrictions, it is necessary to remember for what purposes it is being carried out. A person deliberately denies himself food and other natural pleasures because he decided to express his respect and gratitude to the Savior, who gave his life, but rose again on the third day after death. That is, you need to fast consciously, this is a mature, thoughtful decision of a person. You also need to remember the following rules:

1. First of all, before the start of Lent, it is better for a person to go to church and receive a blessing from a priest. This is especially important for people who, for objective reasons, cannot unconditionally comply with all restrictions (pregnant women, people with poor health, etc.).
2. Also, during this entire period, it is better to set aside time to attend the liturgy and try to go to church as often as possible. This makes the task easier, because psychologically it is important for a person to receive support in the temple, where the atmosphere itself tunes in to a certain spiritual wave.
3. The consumption of alcoholic beverages should be avoided on all days, excluding only Palm Sunday and Easter, when you can drink a little red wine (preferably Cahors).
4. Fasting is not only food restrictions, but also a certain spiritual humility, which is achieved through the renunciation of all carnal pleasures (if possible): intimacy, attending noisy events and, in general, any activities that clearly distract from the spiritual mood.
5. These days, it is especially important to help your loved ones and, in general, any people who ask for it (of course, the help should be specifically for the person in need and within reasonable limits).
6. During the entire fast, a person is prohibited from swearing. You should also refrain as much as possible from sorting out relationships, which almost always run the risk of developing into a scandal. Such conversations can easily be postponed to any other day.
7. Finally, the most important rule: of course, every person has questions, doubts, psychological problems, because any limitation is not easy. Therefore, at any time you can go to church and talk with the priest to dispel unnecessary thoughts. You can also talk with an experienced believer whom you absolutely trust.

Thus, Lent is about more than just food restrictions. It turns out that this is a specific technique that allows a person to tune in to the spiritual and take a little break from the usual bustle. And, of course, the benefits will be felt both for the soul and for the body.