In the pre-New Year bustle, it is important to remember that the main holiday for the Orthodox is Christmas, and it is necessary to prepare for it, and start in advance.
Preparations for the Bright holiday is the Nativity Fast. When it starts, what you can and cannot eat, how to behave, as well as the food calendar for Christmas fast - read about all this below.
A bit of history
It has been documented that fasting before Christmas began only in the 4th century. However, it only lasted seven days at the time. Only in 1166 the Patriarch of Constantinople signed a charter of duration, and the Nativity Fast became forty days.
Today it is important to remember that Orthodox fasting is not a diet, and its essence is not only in restrictions on food. First of all, his task is to prepare the body and soul of believers for Christmas. After all, we are all immersed in everyday vanity, we get angry, swear, indulge in excessive consumption of food and alcohol, we clog our thoughts and feelings. More modest food only helps to tune in the right mood and devote more time to spiritual development.
Christmas fast days 2021-2022
The date of Christmas does not change from year to year, therefore fasting always begins at the same time, namely November 28. It lasts exactly 40 days and ends with the rise of the first star on January 6. You can give yourself spiritual and physical relaxation on January 7th.
What can and cannot be eaten?
Among the fasts, Rozhdestvensky is considered not strict, because on certain days you can eat fish, vegetable oil, and even drink wine on weekends.
Products of animal origin are strictly prohibited: eggs, milk, meat, cheese, butter and, accordingly, all derivatives of them.
In forty-day abstinence, there are three periods:
- November 28 - December 19
- December 20 - January 1
- January 2-6
On some days, the diet consists only of thermally unprocessed food (in other words, dry food), sometime you can eat hot dishes, on some days fish is allowed. The lean diet is based on vegetables, cereals, legumes and mushrooms. For more information on the rules of food, see the section Food calendar.
The main challenge for the fasting people is the New Year, because the whole country is having fun, and there is a lot of delicious and forbidden food around.
In addition to food, the church imposes restrictions on the way of life: it is not recommended to watch TV (in any case, entertainment programs and feature films, channels and programs on spiritual topics are allowed), go to theaters, movies, read magazines and fiction.
Orthodox Christians are also forbidden to get married or have parties, but they are allowed to be baptized. It is believed that during fasting a person should spend more time in prayer, in reading spiritual literature. Needlework - embroidery or knitting - is not prohibited, because these activities are calm, peaceful.
The question often arises about the fulfillment of a conjugal duty. There is no definite answer to this question. The clergy are unanimous that it is not worth planning conception for these days. However, if this happened, you should not worry about this, as well as believe in superstition. Otherwise, this issue should be resolved individually, you can ask the advice of the family confessor. In any case, the decision regarding the marital relationship must be made together.
In general, it is better to discuss how strictly fasting and what way of life to lead on these days with the confessor. After all, for example, small children, sick people, old people and wanderers, as well as pregnant and lactating mothers are exempted from observing certain rules, fulfilling them as far as health and circumstances allow.
But we must strive to ensure that less quarrels, scolding, be more attentive and kind to others.
What to cook for Christmas fast every day?
On the Internet, you can find a lot of recipes for lean dishes that meet all the requirements, but at the same time are varied and nutritious. Here are some examples of what to cook for every day.
On the days when hot food is allowed, you can make a variety of soups:
- A simple soup of cabbage, potatoes and carrots with the addition of onions and garlic will be quite satisfying and inexpensive to perform;
- Lenten borscht is one of the traditional soups. The ingredients are the same as in classic borscht, only without meat and sour cream;
- Mushroom soup is also great. True, you will have to do without sour cream and mayonnaise.
- Various vegetable soups with the addition of rice, lentils, peas. The main thing is to cook everything in water or vegetable broth.
Since everything happens in winter and it's cold enough outside, and a person needs calories, lean pancakes with appropriate fillings will be an excellent option for dinner:
- Pancakes stuffed with buckwheat and mushrooms
Yeast pancakes on dough without milk are perfect. True, they can be baked only on those days when vegetable fats are allowed, because you cannot do without it when baking; - Spring rolls and potatoes and carrots
For them, you can mix mashed potatoes (without milk and eggs) with fried carrots and onions - it will be lean and satisfying. - Sweet pancakes with apple or banana and raisins.
As main courses:
- Various rice options +
It can be rice plus mushrooms, rice plus cabbage, rice plus peas, etc.;
- Potatoes in all kinds (fried with onions, with mushrooms, baked in the oven, boiled);
- Cabbage (stewed and fresh);
Fresh cabbage salads are great on dry eating days; - Legumes, side dishes of beans and other legumes are very nutritious and will allow you to hold out without feeling hunger until your next meal. You can even make lean cabbage rolls from legumes.
If the whole family is fasting, and at this time some kind of personal holiday still falls, you can make lean pastries:
- Cookies with poppy seeds;
- Coconut and banana cookies;
- Carrot cake based on carrots, flour, raisins and vegetable oil.
As you can see, fast food should not consist of one potato and buckwheat.
Since the diet is not very balanced, it is better to drink a complex of vitamins. If you are determined to observe the Christmas fast 2021-2022 from and to, it is advisable to consult a doctor.
Meal calendar by day
Prohibited foods cannot be used for the entire 40 days. Here are the basic rules for eating by day.
First stage:
- November 28, 30, December 5,7,12,14, December 19 - it is allowed to eat any non-humble food, including hand or sea fish, with the addition of vegetable oil;
- The exception is seafood - they do not belong to allowed lean foods;
- Nov 29, Dec 1, 6, 8,13, 15 - Dry eating, i.e. only permitted products without heat treatment - bread, vegetables, fruits;
- On December 11 and 18, you can eat something hot without adding oil. Fish is banned these days. An excellent option would be boiled or baked vegetables, soups, cereals.
- On weekends - 2,3,9,10,16,17 - you can add a little wine to any lean dishes.
- On 4 decks, you can also pamper yourself with vegetable oil, fish and wine in honor of the Feast of the Introduction of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple.
Second phase:
- Dec 20,22,27,29 - dry eating;
- Dec 21,26,28 - hot dishes with vegetable fats. Fish dishes are prohibited;
- Weekends - 23.24, 30.31 Dec - you can still eat fish, oil and wine;
- December 25 and January 1 - hot meals are allowed.
Stage three:
- January 3 and 5 - dry eating;
- January 2 and 4 - hot meals with vegetable fat;
- January 6 - hot meals with vegetable fats, but no wine. Christmas Eve is called Christmas Eve. The traditional dish on this day is Sochivo (or kutia) - cereal porridge with nuts, honey and dried fruits.
This is roughly what the Christmas fast food calendar looks like this year.
If you are just embarking on this path and in the rhythm of modern life it is not always possible to strictly follow all the rules, do not be upset.After all, the main thing is not just to stop eating your favorite foods, but to become kinder, remember that you need to be able to forgive and be kinder to each other.
