Number of fasting days in a year. Orthodox church calendar. Watch the video recipe for lean fish with vegetables

Orthodox church calendar of fasts and meals for 2020 with an indication and brief description of multi-day and one-day fasts and continuous weeks.

Church Orthodox calendar of fasts and meals for 2020

Fasting is not in the belly, but in the spirit
Popular proverb

Nothing in life comes without difficulty. And in order to celebrate the holiday, you need to prepare for it.
In the Russian Orthodox Church there are four multi-day fasts, fasting on Wednesday and Friday throughout the year (except for a few weeks), and three one-day fasts.

In the first four days of the first week of Great Lent (from Monday to Thursday), the Great (Repentant) Canon, the work of the brilliant Byzantine hymnographer St. Andrew of Crete (8th century), is read during the evening service.

ATTENTION! Below you will find information about dry eating, food without oil and days of complete abstinence from food. All this is a long-standing monastic tradition, which even in monasteries cannot always be observed in our time. Such strictness of fasting is not for the laity, and the usual practice is abstaining from eggs, dairy and meat foods during fasting and during strict fasting also abstaining from fish. For all possible questions and about your individual measure of fasting, you need to consult your confessor.

Dates are indicated according to the new style.

Calendar of fasts and meals for 2020

Periods		Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
from March 2 to April 18		xerophagy	hot without oil	xerophagy	hot without oil	xerophagy	hot with butter	hot with butter
Spring meat eater				fish		fish
from June 15 to July 11		hot without oil	fish	xerophagy	fish	xerophagy	fish	fish
Summer carnivore				xerophagy		xerophagy
from 14 to 27 August		xerophagy	hot without oil	xerophagy	hot without oil	xerophagy	hot with butter	hot with butter
Autumn meat eater				xerophagy		xerophagy
from November 28, 2020 to January 6, 2021	until December 19	hot without oil	fish	xerophagy	fish	xerophagy	fish	fish
	December 20 - January 1	hot without oil	hot with butter	xerophagy	hot with butter	xerophagy	fish	fish
	January 2-6	xerophagy	hot without oil	xerophagy	hot without oil	xerophagy	hot with butter	hot with butter
Winter meat eater				fish		fish

in 2020

The Savior himself was led by spirit into the desert, was tempted by the devil for forty days and did not eat anything during these days. The Savior began the work of our salvation by fasting. Great Lent is a fast in honor of the Savior Himself, and the last, Holy Week of this forty-eight-day fast is established in honor of the memory of the last days of earthly life, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.
Fasting is observed with particular strictness during the first and Holy weeks.
On Clean Monday, complete abstinence from food is customary. The rest of the time: Monday, Wednesday, Friday - dry food (water, bread, fruits, vegetables, compotes); Tuesday, Thursday – hot food without oil; Saturday, Sunday – food with vegetable oil.
Fish is allowed on the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and on Palm Sunday. Fish caviar is allowed on Lazarus Saturday. On Good Friday you cannot eat food until the Shroud is taken out.

in 2020

On Monday of the Week of All Saints, the Fast of the Holy Apostles begins, established before the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul. This post is called summer. The continuation of fasting varies depending on how early or late Easter occurs.
It always starts on All Saints Monday and ends on July 12th. The longest Petrov fast consists of six weeks, and the shortest one is a week and a day. This fast was established in honor of the Holy Apostles, who, through fasting and prayer, prepared for the worldwide preaching of the Gospel and prepared their successors in the work of saving service.
Strict fasting (dry eating) on Wednesday and Friday. On Monday you can have hot food without oil. On other days - fish, mushrooms, cereals with vegetable oil.

in 2020

From August 14 to August 27, 2020.
A month after the Apostolic Fast, the multi-day Dormition Fast begins. It lasts two weeks - from August 14 to 27. With this fast, the Church calls us to imitate the Mother of God, who, before Her relocation to heaven, constantly remained in fasting and prayer.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday – dry eating. Tuesday, Thursday – hot food without oil. On Saturday and Sunday, food with vegetable oil is allowed.
On the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19), fish is allowed. Fish day in Assumption, if it falls on Wednesday or Friday.

in 2020

Christmas (Filippov) fast. At the end of autumn, 40 days before the great feast of the Nativity of Christ, the Church calls us to winter fasting. It is called both Filippov, because it begins after the day dedicated to the memory of the Apostle Philip, and Rozhdestvensky, because it occurs before the feast of the Nativity of Christ.
This fast was established in order for us to offer a grateful sacrifice to the Lord for the collected earthly fruits and to prepare for a gracious union with the born Savior.
The charter about food coincides with the charter of Peter's Fast, until the day of St. Nicholas (December 19).
If the Feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary falls on Wednesday or Friday, then fish is allowed. After the day of remembrance of St. Nicholas and before the forefeast of Christmas, fish is allowed on Saturday and Sunday. On the eve of the feast, you cannot eat fish on all days; on Saturday and Sunday - food with oil.
On Christmas Eve you cannot eat food until the first star appears, after which it is customary to eat sochivo - wheat grains boiled in honey or boiled rice with raisins.

Solid weeks in 2020

Week– week from Monday to Sunday. These days there is no fasting on Wednesday and Friday.
There are five continuous weeks:
Christmastide– from January 7 to January 17,
Publican and Pharisee– 2 weeks before
Cheese (Maslenitsa)– week before (no meat)
Easter (Light)– week after Easter
- week after Trinity.

Fasting on Wednesday and Friday

Weekly fast days are Wednesday and Friday. On Wednesday, fasting was established in memory of the betrayal of Christ by Judas, on Friday - in memory of the suffering on the cross and death of the Savior. On these days of the week, the Holy Church prohibits the consumption of meat and dairy foods, and during the week of All Saints before the Nativity of Christ, one should also abstain from fish and vegetable oil. Only when the days of celebrated saints fall on Wednesday and Friday is vegetable oil allowed, and on the biggest holidays, such as Intercession, fish.
Those who are sick and engaged in hard work are allowed some relief, so that Christians have the strength to pray and do the necessary work, but eating fish on the wrong days, and especially the full permission of fasting, is rejected by the charter.

One-day posts

Epiphany Christmas Eve– January 18, on the eve of the Epiphany. On this day, Christians prepare for cleansing and consecration with holy water on the feast of Epiphany.
Beheading of John the Baptist- 11 September. This is the day of remembrance and death of the great prophet John.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross- September 27. The memory of the Savior's suffering on the cross for the salvation of the human race. This day is spent in prayer, fasting, and contrition for sins.
One-day posts– days of strict fasting (except Wednesday and Friday). Fish is prohibited, but food with vegetable oil is allowed.

Orthodox holidays. About meals on holidays

According to the Church Charter, there is no fasting on the holidays of the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany, which happened on Wednesday and Friday. On Christmas and Epiphany Eves and on the holidays of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord and the Beheading of John the Baptist, food with vegetable oil is allowed. On the feasts of the Presentation, Transfiguration of the Lord, Dormition, Nativity and Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, Her Entry into the Temple, the Nativity of John the Baptist, the Apostles Peter and Paul, John the Theologian, which occurred on Wednesday and Friday, as well as in the period from Easter to Trinity on Wednesday and Friday Fish allowed.

When marriage is not performed

On the eve of Wednesday and Friday of the whole year (Tuesday and Thursday), Sundays (Saturday), twelve days, temple and great holidays; in continuation of the posts: Veliky, Petrov, Uspensky, Rozhdestvensky; in continuation of Christmastide, on Meat Week, during Cheese Week (Maslenitsa) and on Cheese Week; during Easter (Bright) week and on the days of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 27.

You just read the article Church Orthodox calendar for 2019. If you want to know more about Orthodox posts, then pay attention to the article.

Fasting is a period of voluntary bodily and mental abstinence. At this time, it is customary to limit oneself in food and drinks, amusements and pleasures for the sake of prayer and godly deeds. In Orthodox Christianity, periods of abstinence are timed to coincide with major religious holidays. The number of fasting days sometimes reaches two hundred per year. Every year, believers observe four multi-day and three one-day fasts, which precede great church celebrations. The tradition of fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays has been preserved. The exception is a few weeks called Continuous Weeks. At this time, food intake is not limited in any way.

Calendar of fasts and meals for 2017

Modest nutrition is an important component of fasting. Although it plays only a supporting role in spiritual cleansing, most believers change their diet within the allotted time. In addition, switching to lighter foods often improves health. During all fasts, food of animal origin is prohibited. These are meat, fish (except on certain days), eggs and dishes that contain them (for example, mayonnaise).

You cannot consume milk and dairy products: butter, sour cream, kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk, and so on. During fasting, you are not allowed to eat fast food, fatty desserts and sweet pastries. You should also limit the amount of sugar, salt and spices in your dishes. As for alcohol, drinking weak wine is allowed only on Saturday and Sunday, as well as on the days of remembrance of saints. The rest of the time, alcohol is prohibited.

Fasting is not only a physical but also a spiritual cleansing

In the calendar there is such a type of nutrition as dry eating. It involves avoiding any food that has been cooked. The fasting diet consists of bread, raw fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, nuts and honey. As a rule, dry eating applies only to monks and Old Believers. Among the laity, such restrictions require the blessing of a priest.

The periods of rest and recovery between fasts are called carnivores. During these months, food of animal origin is allowed. A meat eater is needed so that the body can stock up on animal protein and vitamins. But you shouldn’t turn this time into a continuous belly festival, getting carried away with foods high in fat and complex carbohydrates. Such food will only raise your blood sugar levels, which will negatively affect your well-being.

Lent (February 27 - April 15)

Monday- dry eating;
Tuesday- hot food without oil;
Wednesday- dry eating;
Thursday- hot food without oil;
Friday- dry eating;
Saturday- hot food with butter;
Sunday- hot food with butter.

Spring meat eater

Wednesday- fish;
Friday- fish.

Petrov fast (June 12 - July 11)

Monday- hot food without oil;
Tuesday- fish;
Wednesday- dry eating;
Thursday- fish;
Friday- dry eating;
Saturday- fish;
Sunday- fish.

Summer carnivore

Wednesday- dry eating;
Friday- dry eating.

Assumption Fast (August 14 - August 27)

Monday- dry eating;
Tuesday- hot food without oil;
Wednesday- dry eating;
Thursday- hot food without oil;
Friday- dry eating;
Saturday- hot food with butter;
Sunday- hot food with butter.

Autumn meat eater

Wednesday- dry eating;
Friday- dry eating.

Nativity Fast (November 28 to January 6)

November 28 - December 19

Monday- hot food without oil;
Tuesday- fish;
Wednesday- dry eating;
Thursday- fish;
Friday- dry eating;
Saturday- fish;
Sunday- fish.

December 20 - January 1

Monday- hot food without oil;
Tuesday- hot food with butter;
Wednesday- dry eating;
Thursday- hot food with butter;
Friday- dry eating;
Saturday- fish;
Sunday- fish.

January 2 - January 6

Monday- dry eating;
Tuesday- hot food without oil;
Wednesday- dry eating;
Thursday- hot food without oil;
Friday- dry eating;
Saturday- hot food with butter;
Sunday- hot food with butter.

Winter meat eater

Wednesday- fish;
Friday- fish.

Lent is the strictest in the list of multi-day Orthodox fasts

Lent

The most important Christian fast precedes the holiday and honors the memory of Jesus Christ. Lent is considered the strictest in Orthodoxy. On weekdays, food is taken once a day, cold (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) or warm (Tuesday, Thursday). On weekends, the number of meals increases to two, and wine is allowed.

Such strict requirements are observed mainly in the first and last weeks of fasting. On the first day of Lent (Clean Monday), Friday and Saturday of Holy Week (April 14-15), eating food is not allowed at all. If you cannot endure a fast due to a health condition, you should reduce your diet of unprocessed fruits, vegetables and nuts.

Hot food with butter is allowed to be eaten on the days of remembrance of great saints, when they fall on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. If the holiday falls on Wednesday or Thursday, the food should not contain oil, but the ban on wine is lifted. Eating fish is allowed on the days of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (April 7) and Palm Sunday (April 9). On Lazarus Saturday (April 8) you can eat a small amount of caviar.

Petrov post

This post is also called Apostolic, because it is dedicated to the memory of two disciples of Christ - Peter and Paul. According to the Bible, before the worldwide preaching of the Gospel, the saints prepared for their work through food restrictions and constant prayer. The period of abstinence begins on All Saints' Monday, a week after the feast of Trinity. The food in Veliky is less strict than in Veliky. The church charter prescribes dry eating on Wednesdays and Fridays; on Mondays, hot food without oil is allowed.

Unlike the Great Fast, Peter's Fast allows the consumption of fish

If feasts of saints' memory fall on these days, hot dishes are allowed to be consumed. On the day of the Nativity of John the Baptist (June 7), you can taste fish dishes. On other days, you are allowed to freely eat seafood. They should only be served boiled, stewed or baked - the Church does not approve of fried food. On Saturday and Sunday it is allowed to drink wine in small quantities.

Dormition post

The following post is established in honor of the Virgin Mary. At this time, believers honor the memory of the Mother of God and limit themselves to food and entertainment before the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The diet during these two weeks is quite strict. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only dry cold food is allowed, on other days - hot food without oil.

Wine and vegetable oil can only be consumed on weekends. The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19) remains “Fish Day”. People call it Spasovka. During his time there are two of the three church holidays, which are called Spas.

August 14- The origin of the Holy Cross, or the Honey Savior. On this day, the products of apiaries are blessed in churches and begin to be eaten.
August 19- Transfiguration of the Lord, or Apple Savior. Fruits that are traditionally not consumed until this day are blessed on the holiday.
August 29- The Savior of the Miraculous Image of Jesus Christ, also known as the Nut or Bread Savior.

Christmas post

Winter fasting is timed to coincide with one of the great Christian holidays -. The period of abstinence begins on Philip Day and ends on Christmas Eve. The menu of the first week corresponds to the diet of Petrov's fast. Dry eating is observed on Wednesdays and Fridays; on Mondays, hot food without oil is allowed. On other days you can eat fish dishes, and on weekends - wine. Fish is prohibited for the entire period.

December 4 marks the feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On this day, hot food with vegetable oil, seafood and wine are served on the table. From December 20 to January 1, fish is excluded from the weekday diet. In the last week before the holiday (January 2-6), dry food is consumed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, hot food without oil - on Tuesday and Thursday. Vegetable oil can be added to dishes only on weekends.

The Nativity fast will end only in the new year - 2018

On Christmas Eve (January 6), it is customary to abstain from eating until the first star appears in the sky. All day long, believers only pray and drink water. A festive dinner is not complete without sochiv (or kutya) - sweet porridge with honey, raisins and nuts. The main drink of the evening is uzvar, a cool compote of dried fruits.

Fasting on Wednesday and Friday

Wednesday and Friday are weekly fast days. Abstinence on Wednesday commemorates the betrayal of Christ by Judas; Friday fasting is established in memory of the torment of Jesus on the cross. On these days, it is prohibited to consume animal products. During the period between All Saints' Week and Christmas, you should not eat fish or vegetable oil.

If saints' days of remembrance fall on Wednesday or Friday, the ban on vegetable oil is lifted. Fish is allowed on major Christian holidays. Dietary restrictions do not apply during the Solid Weeks. In 2017 they fall on the following weeks:

Christmas time: January 7 – 18.
Publican and Pharisee: February 6 – 12.
Cheese (Maslenitsa): February 20 – 26. A ban on meat is imposed.
Easter (Light): April 17 – 23.
Troitskaya: June 5 – June 11.

One-day posts

There are three holidays marked in the Orthodox calendar on which it is customary to fast. If these days do not fall on Wednesday and Friday, believers are prohibited from eating food of animal origin, including fish. Hot dishes with vegetable oil are allowed.

January 18 - Epiphany Christmas Eve. This day should be devoted to preparations for Baptism, or the Epiphany of the Lord. Since the holiday symbolizes purity, food and drink cannot be taken until the candle is taken out after the morning liturgy and communion with blessed water. As on Christmas Eve, on January 18, sochivo (kutya) and uzvar are cooked. The rest of the dishes on the table should also be lean, and their total number should be seven, nine or twelve.
September 11 - Beheading of John the Baptist. On this day, Christians remember the martyrdom of John the Baptist, who was beheaded by order of King Herod. On September 11th you cannot cut anything, so all dishes for this day should be prepared in advance. It is also not recommended to serve food in round-shaped dishes. Traditional dishes of this day: mushroom soup, oatmeal jelly and pies.
September 27 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This holiday is dedicated to the memory of Jesus Christ, who was tortured on the cross. As with other one-day fasts, on September 27 you cannot eat food of animal origin.

For some groups of believers, easing of fasting is possible

Features of fasting

The modern church recognizes that avoiding certain foods can cause serious harm to health. An elderly person is physically unable to adhere to dietary restrictions that a young body can easily tolerate. Pregnant women and nursing mothers, and children under 14 years of age are exempt from the physical component of fasting.

Orthodox calendar contains two annual circles of events: , all dates of which are firmly established in , and , all of whose events are established relative to the day of celebration.

Easter Day is calculated according to (Alexandrian) and is celebrated simultaneously by all Orthodox Churches (except for the Finnish Church, which switched to the Gregorian calendar), as are all related events of the Easter circle.

The dates of the fixed circle are marked in different ways: according to Julian calendar (the so-called “old style”) and according to Gregorian calendar (modern civil calendar, or “new style”).

In the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as in the Jerusalem, Georgian, Serbian Churches and in the monasteries of Athos, the events of the motionless circle are celebrated, which in the 20th-21st centuries differs by 13 days. Thus, the beginning of the church year (), established on September 1, is celebrated according to the civil calendar on September 14.

In the other eleven Local Orthodox Churches, the dates of the fixed circle are celebrated. So, it is celebrated before the civil new year, on December 25.

The presented Orthodox calendar allows you to determine the dates of fasts and holidays from 100 to 20000. When you hover the cursor over a calendar date, information about the features of this day appears. When you click on any day of the month, the link will take you to the corresponding date in the detailed daily calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church. Links to the daily calendar work plus/minus 10 years from the current date.

Calendar on your website

Enter the desired width and height of the inline frame (the default sizes are 950px and 700px, which will allow you to place the calendar without horizontal and vertical scroll bars): Published 02/26/17 12:47

What date does Lent begin in 2017, the nutrition calendar by day, what you can and cannot eat - read about all this in the Topnews material.

Lent in 2017: what date begins and ends

On February 27, 2017, Orthodox Christians begin the most “important” and strict fast. Lent will last until Easter, which falls on April 16 this year. And this weekend ends Maslenitsa - the preparatory period for fasting.

It is not by chance that it is called preparatory. In order to smoothly enter into fasting, you need to prepare properly - for which it is not recommended to lean on the days before the start of Lent intkbbach for heavy and fatty foods. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the body to quickly adapt, and this can lead to big problems with the stomach and intestines.

The services of the first week of Lent will also be special and different from other days. For example, from Monday to Thursday every evening Great Compline is celebrated with the reading of the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete.

The upcoming fast itself is considered the strictest; believers must give up many foods.

Lent 2017: what you can eat and what you can’t

The first and main rule of Lent states that Orthodox Christians during this period should not consume meat products of animal origin. Not only meat, but also any milk and dairy products, eggs and other products of animal origin remain prohibited.

The first and last weeks of abstinence from fast food are especially strict; Friday, Monday and Wednesday are also strictly observed, since during this period you can only eat raw foods that have not been cooked.

In addition, three days a week, meals must be moved to the evening after sunset.

On Tuesday and Thursday, food is also consumed only once a day, and food is eaten after sunset, although eating hot dishes is quite permitted here, but even on this day you will have to refrain from adding oil to dishes.

On weekends, it becomes a little easier to observe fasting, since there are some relaxations; if desired, a little vegetable oil is added to dishes, food is allowed to be cooked in the oven or on the stove, in addition, Orthodox Christians can afford a couple of glasses of wine per day.

There is also Holy Week, it is considered the most strict, since after it the celebration of Great Easter occurs. Orthodox Christians should be especially strict about Friday this week, since Good Friday implies a complete refusal of food, you can only drink clean water.

If it is not possible to completely give up food, you should try a raw food diet.

Well, the simplest days during Lent are Palm Sunday and the Annunciation, since these days are considered holidays, when housewives can serve fish dishes.

There are other days when there is a slight relaxation of the diet, for example, if Lent falls on one of the days of the great holy martyr, then an Orthodox Christian can afford hot dishes seasoned with a small amount of vegetable oil.

So, during Lent, the following are completely prohibited: meat, milk, eggs, cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, animal butter, butter bread and pastries. It is not necessary to completely abandon flour products, the main thing is that they do not contain milk or eggs, but only water, flour and salt.

You can eat: vegetables, fruits, cereals, legumes, mushrooms, and on some days - fish and caviar.

Sweets are also allowed, but only if they are made without adding milk, for example, dark chocolate, honey and sugar.

Lent 2017: nutrition calendar by day (table)

According to church canons, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday food is eaten only cold, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays hot food is allowed without oil.

On Saturdays and Sundays, in addition to vegetable oil, you can sip a little wine. It is not allowed only on Saturday of Holy Week.

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