The Christmas fast is introduced so that the believing Christians cleansed themselves with prayer and repentance for the holy holiday of Christmas and could with humble body and soul humbly meet the Son of God, express readiness to follow his teaching, give his heart. When does the Christmas Eve 2015-2016 begin? The dates are unchanged: it starts on November 27, ends on January 7, and lasts for 40 days.
Calendar of the Christmas fast: menu, meals by day
The rules of abstinence prescribed by the Orthodox Church are very strict. Cow's butter, eggs, milk, cheese, meat, on some days - fish should be completely excluded from the daily ration. What is eaten in the Christmas Post?
November 28-December 19:
- Monday. Boiled vegetable dishes prepared without adding oil on water (rice, vareniki);
- Tuesday. Wine, fish, vegetable food with the addition of oil;
- Wednesday. Succubation (honey, nuts, bread);
- Thursday. Fish, wine, vegetable dishes with butter;
- Friday. Xerophagy;
- Saturday. Fish dishes, vegetable food with butter, wine;
- Sunday. Fish, wine, food of vegetable origin, butter.
December 20-January 1:
- Monday. Boiled vegetable dishes without oil;
- Tuesday. Vegetable food, seasoned with lean oil (potato with mushrooms, tomato soup, eggplant caviar);
- Wednesday. Dryness (raw vegetables, honey, nuts);
- Thursday. Vegetable dishes with the addition of lean oil;
- Friday. Xerophagy;
- Saturday. Wine, fish products, vegetable food with butter;
- Sunday. Fish dishes, boiled vegetable food, wine.
2 January-6 January:
- Monday. Xerophagy;
- Tuesday. Vegetable food without oil (rice, kissel, vareniki);
- Wednesday. Xerophagy;
- Thursday. Vegetable dishes without butter;
- Friday. Xerophagy;
- Saturday. Cooked vegetable dishes, cooked with the addition of oil;
- Sunday. Cooked food of vegetable origin, cooked with the addition of oil.
When the Christmas Eve 2015-2016 begins - church discipline
During fasting (November 28-January 7), apart from abstaining from food, it is necessary to fast spiritually. Fasting is harmful without spiritual purification. A true fast is associated with repentance, prayer, the eradication of bad deeds, the forgiveness of offenses, the rejection of carnal pleasures. Is it possible to marry a Christmas post? The church in this matter is adamant: the wedding and the wedding festival are not blessed in the fast. Fasting is not an end in itself, but a means to purify oneself of sins and to subdue the flesh, therefore the triumph at this time is completely inappropriate.