How And Why To Fast?

Fasting is a spiritual feat. How to correctly enter the fast? What can you eat during fasting, what are the degrees of severity of fasting?

Fasting is a spiritual feat. How to correctly enter the fast? What can you eat during fasting, what are the degrees of severity of fasting?

Lent

The strictest and longest fast in the Christian religion is Great Lent. The main purpose of Great Lent is to prepare the soul and body for the celebration of Easter. The biblical legend says that the Savior fasted in the desert for forty days, and Great Lent was created so that believers would not forget about it. A person consists of a body and a soul, and a person's spirituality is revealed and expanded when a person restrains bodily needs.

In 2013, Lent begins on Monday, March 18, and ends on May 5, Easter Day. In fact, Lent lasts 48 days, because after the strict seven weeks (Holy Pentecost), there is an even stricter week of Holy Week (except Sunday).

Lent periods

Fasting begins on the Monday after Holy Sunday.

The first part of Great Lent - Pentecost lasts forty days.

It is believed that during this period a person moves towards God. During the last week, which is also called Holy Week, God goes to meet man through suffering and death until the resurrection. All days of the last week are called Great.

Basic rules of behavior during fasting

Fasting is not just a period when people limit themselves in food, otherwise there is no difference between fasting and dieting. This is a special state of mind, one might say – a spiritual feat.

Together with the refusal of food, you need to refrain from carnal pleasures:

• It is necessary to refuse to watch entertainment shows, for example, TV shows.
• Refrain from frivolous entertainment and loud parties, you can't visit night clubs, discotheques.
• It is forbidden to drink alcohol, even wine. You can't smoke.
• Carnal pleasures include sex, so even spouses are forbidden to indulge in amorous pleasures.
• You can't swear, quarrel, scandal, lie, be rude, use abusive words even in your thoughts. During fasting, we can change and become better, and envy and curses will not help, even if we do not eat meat.

How to properly enter Great Lent

The body needs to be prepared for restrictions during fasting, so according to tradition, preparation begins three weeks before fasting:

The first week of preparation is called omnivorous week, the name speaks for itself, you can eat everything without restrictions. Although Orthodox Christians are forbidden to eat meat dishes on Wednesdays and Fridays, during the omnivorous week the ban does not work.

The second week of preparation is called meat-free week, during the week you can still eat meat, except for Wednesday and Friday.

The third week is called Masnytsia, you can no longer eat meat, but you can eat eggs, cheese, fish, dairy products, which are traditional for Butter Pancakes. Wednesday and Friday are no different from other days.

You can't start fasting with resentment and bitterness in your soul, that's why there is Forgiveness Sunday , when you can reconcile and start fasting with a calm soul.

What products are not allowed

 

There is a generally accepted Orthodox tradition of fasting, when it is necessary to give up the meat of animals, birds and fish, including seafood. Rejection of food of animal origin elevates human nature. Soy meat is also prohibited, because it is an artificial imitation of products of animal origin, although everything depends on the person and his intentions.

Also prohibited:

• Buttery white bread,
• buns,
• mayonnaise,
• milk,
• eggs

It is forbidden to drink alcohol. On Palm Sunday , you can drink some wine, in small quantities. Although wine is a product of non-vegetable origin, it is intoxicating and not compatible with other acts of fasting.

On the Annunciation and on Palm Sunday , you can eat a little fish, and on Lazarus Saturday (the Saturday before Palm Sunday), you can eat fish roe.

What products are possible

During fasting, you can use products of plant origin:

Vegetables, both fresh and frozen

• Mushrooms
• Fruits and dried fruits
• Beans
• A seed
• Green
• Spices
• Groats
• Pickling, pickling, pickled vegetables and berries
• Juices and jams
• Crackers, drying
• Lean bread
• Soursop and teas
• Degree of fasting

There are six types of fasting severity:

• complete abstinence from food, which some monks follow;
• dry food - the diet consists of cold food without the addition of vegetable oil;
• vegetable food without oil can be heated;
• vegetable oil can be used in cooking;
• the diet includes fish;
• the easiest fast - the diet includes all products except meat.

For whom fasting is less strict

You need to grow up before fasting, for example, followers of the Old Testament tradition believed that a man becomes an adult before the age of thirty. Nowadays, growing up happens earlier, but children do not have to follow all the rules. You need to start fasting consciously, although limiting access to computer games, watching entertainment programs will have a positive effect on the child.

It is accepted that pregnant, nursing mothers do not restrict themselves in food. Traditionally, fasting was not so severe for people on the road.

A milder fast for sick people and the elderly. Fasting should not harm health, so if it is not possible to fully observe fasting in food, then there is no reason to refuse fasting in principle.