Great Lent is the main Christian fast that precedes the main Christian holiday - Easter. It is observed by both Catholics and Orthodox Christians, although the dates of fasting differ in these two confessions. This happens because the chronology adopted in the Catholic tradition differs from that adhered to by the Orthodox Church. Thus, Catholics determine the date of Easter - and therefore the dates of Great Lent - in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, while the Orthodox use the Alexandrian one. The parts into which the time of Great Lent is divided also differ.
When does Lent begin and end in 2022? Knowing the date of the onset and end of Great Lent is essential for all believers who observe fasting and want to prepare for it in advance. On this site you will find the start and end dates of Lent in 2022.
What is Lent?
Great post (Greek Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστή - Great Forty) - the main and long fast in all historical churches, the purpose of which is to prepare a Christian for the celebration of Easter; the corresponding period of the liturgical year, marked in the divine service with prayers of repentance and memories of the death on the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Installed in memory that Christ fasted in the wilderness for forty days. The duration of Lent is in one way or another related to the number 40, but its actual duration depends on the calculation rules adopted in this particular denomination. In Orthodoxy, Lent lasts 48 days (it starts on Monday, seven weeks before Easter, and ends on Saturday, just before Easter).
Both in the West and in the East, the official name of Lent uses a word indicating the number 40. So, in Church Slavonic it is called "The Forty Day", in Latin "quadragesima" (which word gave the name to Lent in a number of European languages: French carême, Italian quaresima, Spanish cuaresma, Irish carghas, Croatian korizma, etc.). This word, in turn, uses the Greek name for Great Lent, τεσσαρακοστή (fortieth), formed by analogy with the word πεντηκοστή (fiftieth, Pentecost), which dates back to the times of the Old Testament.
Food rules during Lent
Great Lent is preceded by four weeks: the Week of Zacchaeus, the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee, the Week of the Prodigal Son and the Week of the Last Judgment. They serve the purpose of spiritually preparing believers for fasting and repentance, which is the main purpose of fasting.
During Lent, any food of animal origin is prohibited. The first week of Great Lent is held with particular severity. On the first day of fasting, on Monday, complete abstinence from food is taken. From Tuesday to Friday, dry eating is allowed (you can drink water, eat bread, salt, nuts, honey, raw fruits and vegetables, dried fruits). On Saturday and Sunday you can eat hot food with butter.
From the second to the sixth week of Lent, dry eating is prescribed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Hot food without oil is allowed on Tuesday and Thursday, and hot food with oil is allowed on Saturday and Sunday.
In the last week of Great Lent (Holy Week), the charter prescribes dry eating, and on Friday you cannot eat until the shroud is taken out.
On the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (April 7), if the holiday did not fall on Holy Week, and also on Palm Sunday (a week before Easter), you can eat fish. And on Lazarev Saturday, it is allowed to eat fish caviar.
What are the Orthodox parts of Great Lent?
Lent is established in memory of the fact that Jesus Christ fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, therefore the duration of the fast is somehow connected with this number.Although its actual duration may differ in different Christian directions due to the specific chronology adopted by a particular denomination. So, in accordance with the Orthodox tradition, Great Lent lasts 48 days, and preparation for it begins in four weeks - “weeks”. Each of the preparatory weeks has its own meaning and is dedicated to one of the biblical episodes, but the main task of a Christian at this time is to prepare for repentance.
In Orthodoxy, Lent is divided into four parts. The first part is the Holy Fourth Day. These are the first five weeks and five days of fasting. In 2022, the Holy Week will begin on March 7th.
Saturday of the sixth week is called Lazarus Saturday and stands out as a separate stage of fasting. In 2022, it will fall on April 16. On this day, believers remember one of the miracles of Jesus Christ - his resurrection of the righteous Lazarus. On this day, in addition to hot food and wine, which are allowed to be consumed on other "fast" Saturdays, you can also eat caviar.
The third part of Great Lent is the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem, or Palm Sunday. It immediately follows Lazarus Saturday and is the last Sunday before Easter. In 2022, Palm Sunday will be April 17th. As the name suggests, this day is dedicated to the solemn arrival of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. Holy Scripture says that the inhabitants of the city paved the road in front of the Messiah with freshly cut palm branches as a sign of special respect and reverence. Hence, another name for the holiday arose - Palm Sunday. However, in the Russian Orthodox tradition, due to the cold climate in which palm trees do not grow, palm branches were replaced by willow branches, as a result, the name changed. Today, it is customary for Orthodox Christians to consecrate willows on this day, and then keep them at home for the next year.
The last part of Great Lent is called Passion Week, there are actually only six days in it, and on the seventh, on Sunday, believers are already celebrating Easter.
In 2022, Orthodox Easter falls on April 24.
According to the Orthodox tradition, Holy Week is actually an independent part of the liturgical year, dividing Great Lent and Easter. This week is dedicated to the so-called Passion of Christ - the last events in the earthly life of the Messiah, which precede his crucifixion. Each of the days is mentioned with the epithet "great" or "passionate" - for example, Great Monday, Holy Tuesday. So, on Great Monday (in 2022 - April 18), Orthodox Christians remember the Old Testament Patriarch Joseph as a prototype of the suffering Christ - the brothers sold Joseph to Egypt. Great Tuesday (April 19) is a day dedicated to how Jesus denounced the Pharisees and scribes.
On Great Wednesday (April 20), believers remember Judas Iscariot, who betrayed his Teacher. Maundy Thursday (April 21) is the day of commemoration of four events at once: the Last Supper, the Washing of the feet of the disciples by Christ, the Prayer of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane and the Betrayal of Judas. On Good Friday (April 22), Christians mourn: on this day they remember the judgment of the Messiah, his crucifixion and death on the cross. And Great Saturday is the day of the burial of the Savior, in 2022 it falls on April 23.
Date of Lent in 2022
So, for Orthodox Christians in 2022, Lent begins on March 7 and ends on April 23. That is, Lent lasts from 03/07/2022 to 04/23/2022 inclusive.
Beginning of Lent: 03/07/2022.
End of Lent: 04/23/2022.
