Fasting in the Orthodox Church
Four great fasting seasons and the weekly rhythm of Wednesday and Friday.
Fasting in the Orthodox Christian tradition is not a diet. It is a spiritual discipline received from Christ and the Apostles, an inseparable companion to prayer, almsgiving, and the sacramental life. Its purpose is not weight loss but the disentangling of the heart from the passions so that it may pray more clearly.
The Orthodox Church observes four multi-week fasting seasons each year, as well as the weekly fasts of Wednesday and Friday. Days marked as strict fast traditionally exclude meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine, and oil; relaxations are granted on feast days.
The four great fasts
1. Great Lent & Holy Week (48 + 6 days before Pascha)
The Great Fast begins on Clean Monday and ends with the joyful cry of the Resurrection. No meat, dairy, or eggs at any time; fish is allowed only on the feasts of the Annunciation (March 25) and Palm Sunday; wine and oil are permitted on weekends. Holy Week is stricter still, culminating in the total fast of Great & Holy Saturday.
2. Apostles' Fast (Monday after All Saints — June 28)
A moveable fast that begins the week after Pentecost and ends on the eve of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. Its length varies each year because it depends on the date of Pascha. Fish is allowed on many weekdays and on every weekend.
3. Dormition Fast (August 1 – 14)
A brief but rigorous fast in preparation for the feast of the falling-asleep of the Most Holy Theotokos on August 15. Fish is permitted only on the Transfiguration (August 6). Wine and oil are allowed on weekends.
4. Nativity Fast (November 15 – December 24)
Also called the "Winter Lent." The first month is more relaxed; the final week (December 20–24) is kept as strictly as Great Lent, in preparation for the Nativity of Christ.
Weekly Wednesday & Friday fasts
Outside of the fast-free weeks (Bright Week, Trinity Week, Publican & Pharisee week, and the twelve days from Nativity to Theophany), every Wednesday and Friday is a strict fast day in memory of Christ's betrayal and crucifixion.
Fast-free periods
The Church balances discipline with joy. During the following seasons, all foods are permitted, even on Wednesday and Friday:
- Bright Week (Pascha through Bright Saturday)
- Trinity Week (the week following Pentecost)
- The Week of the Publican & Pharisee (10 weeks before Pascha)
- The Twelve Days from Nativity (Dec 25) through the eve of Theophany (Jan 4)
How to begin
Fasting is best received in obedience to a spiritual father. Newcomers should not attempt the full monastic discipline all at once. Begin with Wednesdays and Fridays, add the Great Fast, and grow into the fuller calendar with the guidance of your parish priest.