Orthodox Fasting Calendar 2026
Every fast day and feast of the year, from Clean Monday through the Nativity of Christ.
The four fasts of 2026
Key dates in 2026
- Clean Monday — Sunday, February 22, 2026: Great Lent begins.
- Sunday of Orthodoxy — Sunday, March 1, 2026.
- Palm Sunday — Sunday, April 5, 2026: fish, wine & oil allowed.
- Great & Holy Pascha — Sunday, April 12, 2026: the Feast of Feasts.
- Ascension — Thursday, May 21, 2026.
- Pentecost — Sunday, May 31, 2026.
- Apostles' Fast begins — Monday, June 8, 2026.
- Sts. Peter & Paul — June 29, 2026: end of Apostles' Fast.
- Transfiguration — August 6, 2026.
- Dormition of the Theotokos — August 15, 2026.
- Nativity of the Theotokos — September 8, 2026.
- Exaltation of the Cross — September 14, 2026: strict fast.
- Entrance of the Theotokos — November 21, 2026.
- Nativity of Christ — December 25, 2026.
How to read this calendar
On strict-fast days, refrain from meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine, and oil. Wine and oil are typically permitted on weekends within a fast; fish is allowed on major feasts falling in the fast, and on many weekdays of the Apostles' and Nativity Fasts. See our fasting guide for the full rules.
Every month of 2026
Month by month in 2026
Common questions about the 2026 Orthodox calendar
When is Orthodox Easter in 2026?
Orthodox Pascha in 2026 falls on April 12, 2026. The date is fixed by the Julian paschalion — the first Sunday after the first full moon following the Julian equinox, always after Jewish Passover — which is why it usually differs from Western Easter.
When does Great Lent begin in 2026?
Great Lent opens on Clean Monday, February 22, 2026, seven weeks before Pascha, and runs through Lazarus Saturday; Holy Week follows immediately and ends at Pascha.
Does this calendar follow the New Calendar or the Old Calendar?
Fixed feasts are shown on the Revised Julian (New Calendar) reckoning by default, which most Greek, Antiochian, Romanian and OCA parishes use. Switch any day to the Old Calendar with the New/Old toggle — Julian dates run thirteen days behind until 2100. Pascha and every movable feast are the same for both, because both use the Julian paschalion. The full reasoning is on the sources and methodology page.
Which days are fast days in 2026?
Most Wednesdays and Fridays through the year, plus the four fasting seasons: Great Lent, the Apostles' Fast, the Dormition Fast (August 1–14) and the Nativity Fast (November 15 – December 24). Each day in the calendars above is marked with its fasting level and what may be eaten; the rules themselves are explained in the Orthodox fasting guide.
How strictly should I keep the fast?
The dates are the Church's typikon; their application is pastoral. Illness, pregnancy, age, travel and obedience all change what is asked of an individual, so confirm your own rule with your parish priest or spiritual father.