This year, Lent began on March 14, after a touching Forgiveness Sunday. In early April, it “breaks”, as the people say, into two halves. And the duration of this longest and strictest fast is 48 days. It will end by Easter, which this year we will celebrate on May 1. So for those who follow Orthodox traditions, there are still many weeks of restrictions ahead. Meanwhile, many of us are already a little tired without a modest. When such fatigue comes, it's time to remember what fast is and why you need it.
Three levels of fasting
Any fast, especially before the Bright Resurrection of Christ, is a time of enlightenment of the soul, purification of the mind and heart from accumulated resentments, irritation, anger, envy, despondency, pessimism, and dissatisfaction with life. Fasting has three levels - bodily, mental and spiritual.
Bodily fasting, or restriction in food, should be accompanied by mental fasting, that is, abstaining from all kinds of impressions and pleasures. After all, only in solitude, silence, meditation, prayer concentration, a person can look inside himself, see in the depths of his soul what he does not notice in everyday vanity. In the XIX century. in many countries during fasting not only balls were canceled, but theaters were also closed, and other entertainments were canceled. It goes without saying that believers in fasting do not play weddings, do not celebrate birthdays, do not arrange corporate events. Sincere fasting also assumes that you cannot condemn anyone, envy, slander, quarrel, swear, shout at children.
Traditionally, during Great Lent, people try to show mercy: give alms, make charitable contributions, visit hospitals and nursing homes to help care for the weak. In the villages there is a belief that during Great Lent the Lord himself walks on the earth in the form of a poor man. Therefore, it is considered a great sin to refuse a lodging for a traveler, not to feed the poor, in whatever rags he may be.
The third, highest and most difficult level of fasting is spiritual fasting. It presupposes the struggle of a person with his passions, which in Christianity is achieved by repentance and prayer. It is in the confession of one's sins and repentance before the Lord that the main meaning of Great Lent lies. It is no accident that it begins with the custom, piercing hardened hearts, of asking everyone for forgiveness three times and forgiving everyone three times himself.
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Shrovetide - farewell to meat
Great Lent is the strictest of all Orthodox fasts. It is prohibited not only all meat products [meat, animal fats, eggs, dairy products) and alcohol, but even vegetable oil and fish. Moreover, on weekdays it is prescribed to eat once a day, on weekends - twice. Three days a week - on Monday, Wednesday and Friday - they eat only cold food without vegetable oil, on Tuesday and Thursday - hot food is allowed, but also without oil. Lenten oil is allowed only on Saturdays and Sundays.
Fish can be eaten only twice: on Annunciation (this is April 7) and on Palm Sunday, which marks the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem (this year it falls on April 24). On the Saturday before Palm Sunday, caviar is allowed. Contrary to the popular belief that wine can be drunk on weekends, the rule says that wine is allowed once during the entire fast - on Great Saturday, just before the Bright Resurrection of Christ.
In worldly life, this week without meat is known as Maslenitsa - merry festivities, festivities and all kinds of pancakes and dumplings, mainly with cottage cheese (which is why in Ukraine this week is often called cheese paste). The tradition of a good "roar" before fasting also exists in Catholic countries. At this time, Catholics hold carnivals, the name of which comes from the Latin phrase "goodbye to meat" (carne - meat, vale - goodbye). By the way, in the Catholic and Anglican churches, Lent begins not on Monday, as in Orthodoxy, but on Wednesday, it is called Ash and symbolizes the sprinkling of ashes on the head, that is, repentance, regret for human sins. On Ash Wednesday, a priest draws a cross with ashes on the foreheads of believers during the Catholic Mass.
Why is there such a strict fast in Orthodoxy?
The great severity of Orthodox fasting is explained by the fact that they are designed primarily for monks. With regard to fasting for the laity, that is, people living an ordinary, secular life, the Orthodox Church provides only general recommendations. This means that everyone should strive for the maximum (monastic rules of fasting), but taking into account their physical and spiritual capabilities. In practice, the degree of fasting should be determined by the work and state of health of the person. In addition, the church gives indulgences in fasting to pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, the elderly, traveling and sick. Children under the age of seven do not fast at all, but the church recommends that parents gradually accustom them to abstinence: cook more vegetable dishes, give less sweets, limit noisy games and entertainment.
Usually, the fast of a working city dweller is a refusal from meat and dairy products while maintaining the usual diet. This is where the gifts of our gardens and gardens, as well as numerous preparations for the winter, come in handy. There has long been a popular tradition to follow strict fasting only in the first and last weeks of it. Wise priests are kind enough to our weaknesses. As the holy elders used to say, "You can eat meat by fasting, just do not eat each other."
Lent, like Easter, is not "in number", that is, they can fall on different dates. Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring full moon. And since the lunar calendar does not coincide with the generally accepted one, this Sunday may fall for the period from April 7 to May 8. Consequently, the beginning of fasting in different years varies from February to March. The fourth week of fasting is called Mid-Cross (this year falls on April 4-10, the end of half of the fast). On Wednesday, the Holy Cross is worshiped; on the same day, Lenten rolls with poppy seeds in the shape of a cross are baked, smeared with honey on top.
The last, seventh week of fasting before Easter is called Passion, White or Pure. The most important day of the White Week has long been considered Thursday (it is both Clean, Great, and Passionate), it was on this day that Judas betrayed Christ. According to legend, on Maundy Thursday, before sunrise, the raven carries chicks to bathe in the river, because these birds live long. So people tried to wash that day before dawn in order to be healthy and live long. From dawn they cleaned up in the storerooms, in the yard, in the barns, so that everything looked festive. In the evening, returning from the church, they tried to bring home a burning candle so that they could burn it with fire a charm cross over the door.
Good Friday is the day of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. On the Friday before Easter, believers try not to eat at all, not to make holiday preparations.
Great Saturday of Passion Week is a day dedicated to the memory of Jesus Christ's stay in the tomb and His descent into hell, as well as the day of preparation for Easter. In the modern tradition, it is on Great Saturday that Easter cakes are baked, dyes are prepared (by the way, they were painted with a natural dye - infusion of onion peels), that is, they are preparing for the Bright Resurrection of Christ. In the afternoon, from three or four o'clock, Easter is celebrated in churches.
