History of the Lenten Fast

[Jos]

I'm confused about the start of Great Lent...

My friends in Russia celebrated Maslyanitsa on March 3rd I believe and began lent fasting on March 4th.

I checked some calendars only to find that lent begins in a couple of weeks.
When I asked them about the start date but no one knew the answer. They were told when to begin the fast at church.

Can anyone explain when to start the fast? and why are the dates different?
Is it observed differently in the US verses Russia?

What can or cannot be eaten and when? I've read something like the fast is not observed on weekends, is that true? That is, I really read that drinking wine is ok on weekends, is that true? (My friends do not eat animal products nor alcohol during lent)

Thanks

[M.C. Steenberg]

Dear Jos,

The actual start of Great Lent is on Monday 5/18 March -- yet ten days away (it is presently Friday, 13 February/8 March).

The current week is Meat Fare, meaning that it is that last week that meat can be eaten. The Sunday of the Last Judgement (25 February/10 March) is Meat Fare Sunday, and after that day no meat can be eaten until Pascha.

The week following the Sunday of the Last Judgement and leading up to the Sunday of Forgiveness (4/17 March) is Cheese Fare week, indicating that it is the last week during which cheese and other non-meat animal products (milk, eggs, etc) can be eaten. The Sunday of Forgiveness (properly the Sunday of the Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise) is also Cheese Fare Sunday: the last day on which animal products can be eaten.

At the Vespers of Forgiveness on that same Sunday, the Fast proper begins and all the fasting guidelines come into effect, to remain so until midnight on Pascha. There are, however, specific changes in the fasting guidelines for weekends (which are not technically part of the 'forty days' of Great Lent) and other major feasts that arise during the fast (e.g. the Annunciation of the Mother of God on 25 March/7 April). But perhaps that is material for a separate post.

There should be no major differences in the fasting system between Orthodox Churches in different countries -- and certainly not of the dates/structure of the Fast. However, it is possible that certain nations or regions may have differing established guidelines as to just what the fasting rules are, based on available food, climate, etc. But in general, the above is entirely 'pan-Orthodox'.

I hope this helps.

INXC, Matthew

[Lisa Ann Norris-Lovell]

Hello,
It sounds like you've encountered "Old" versus "New" Calendar confusion. As you will have noticed in Matthew's post, two different dates are given for everything. Some churches still use the older Julian Calendar. The more recent Gregorian Calendar is the one whith which most of us are familiar. There is a 13 day difference between the two. Hence the March 5/18 date for the beginning of Great Lent. The Vespers service which ushers in the Lenten season is served the evening of 4/17 March which is Liturgically part of the next day... (Our Liturgical day begins at sunset... "The Evening and the Morning were the nth day")

Hope this helps,

Ann
St Seraphim of Sarov Church (http://www.sonic.net/~lalovell/stseraphim/)

[Jos Hoskinson]

Thank you Matthew and Ann for your comments. I really do appreciate your help. I am trying to observe the Great Lent, which is very new to me, familiar to my spouse though. I now have the dates correct.

I now understand that fasting guidelines may differ for various reasons. Do you have favorite sites for recipes and suggestions for preparing food during this time?

Thanks
Jos

[Gregory Myron]

Jos, there are some good vegan recipes available at this web address:

http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/recipes.htm

It also has links to a few other sites, too. There is another good selection at:

http://www.vegsource.com/lenten.htm

This is a vegetarian website, and the man who updates these pages is Orthodox.

Gregory

[Jenny]

What does it mean when the fasting rules say "oil & wine" for certain days during Lent? Or on some days just "oil?"

[Erin]

Hi everyone. I'm a first time visitor here, and was just wondering if anyone could tell me: do the Orthodox give up all fasting for the whole season of Easter, or just for the week after Easter itself? Someone told me that "there isn't any fasting after Easter," but he didn't tell me for how long.

Thanks!
--- erin

[Lisa Ann Norris-Lovell]

Erin, there is no fasting (except for the Pre-Communion Fast) during Bright Week (the week after Pascha). Once we have ended Bright Week, we resume the standard Wednesday and Friday fasts. As an aside: Very few days in the Orthodox calendar are Strict Fast Days (no food at all). Most "Fast Days" are actually days wherein we abstain from certain types of food and limit the quantity consumed. At least thats how it is in my parish :-) St. Seraphim of Sarov Church - Protection of the Holy Virgin Parish (http://www.stseraphim.com/).

[Vlad Benea]

Lisa, I would like to underline (in response to your first message), that as regarding to the Mobile Calendar (that includes Pascha, Pentecost (that's the English name I think), etc.), there is no difference between the two calendars (Iulian and Gregorian). In 1923, when the decision was made in a Pan-Orthodox Synod that the calendar should be reformed, and some of the Churches (Russian, Mt. Athos, etc.) decided they will change it only later on, it was decided that the date of the Pascha will be celebrated in the same day in all of the Orthodox churches, that is according to the old (Iulian) calendar.
Chris, there is a very good book, by Makarios of Simonospetras, I don't know if it is translated in English though, named "The Triodus(?) Explained" (excuse my translation). It is very well documented. Basically, in the Primary Church, there was a lent of 40 days, meant to comemorate the lent of our Lord (in Quarantania, again am not sure about the correct transliteration), and another one, different of the first, which lasted for 3 or more days, before Pascha, and was meant for the catehumens, which were to be baptized on Paschal night. By the passing of time (around 3rd century), the two lents where unified, thus establishing the current Great Lent. Though it was not unitary across Orthodoxy, the Great Lent is one of the oldest monuments of Primary Church praxis. That means that the services (I don't know the English terms, I am talking about Vespers, morning services, maybe someone could help me out) remained mostly the same for a very long period of time (for example during the period of the Great Lent, there is reading from the Old Testament, practice that was performed only in the Primary Church).
Hope this helps.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.

[Lisa Ann Norris-Lovell]

Christ is Risen!

Vlad, This is exactly what is so confusing. Every year Orthodox around the world celebrate Pascha on the same day; The actual calendar date of April 22 (OC) is the same day as May 5 (NC). Yes?

Although we are now using the Pentecostarion, here are a few links to the Lenten Triodion online:

Lenten Triodion (http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/prayers/triodion/triodion.html) HTML format courtesy of The Community of the Holy Myrrbearers.

You can also buy the book (with a wonderful preface by Mother Mary explaining the history of the fast) at: St. Vladimir's Seminary Bookstore (http://www.svots.edu/SVS-Bookstore/by-section/LBK.html)

Mary, Mother & Ware, Kallistos
Lenten Triodion, The
$28.00, ISBN = 0-571-13243-X
Publisher = St Tikhons' Seminary Press,
Generally in Stock / OrderCode = TC-LETRMO (hardcover)

Holy Transfiguration Monastery
The Pentecostarion
$63.00, ISBN = 0-943405-02-5
Publisher = Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 485 pp
Often in stock, otherwise 4 to 6 weeks / OrderCode = TC-PENTHT (hardcover)

Yours, In Christ,
Ann

[M.C. Steenberg]

Dear Lisa, Vlad and others,

There was a discussion quite recently on these boards regarding the dating of Pascha on both the new and old calendars.

XB, Matthew

[Vlad Benea]

Christ is risen!(Can I ask you what the answer to this salute is in English? For example, in Greek is Alithos anesti!, and in Romanian Adevarat a inviat!)

Thank you very much Matthew. I would like to ask you though, what does Passover mean (I have looked in a dictionary and couldn't find any definition). I am not familiar with this English term.

Please excuse me,
Vlad

[Ron]

Vlad, the response in English is "Indeed, he is risen!" You can find lots of other languages in the Pascha area, on this page (http://www.monachos.net/pascha/2002/paschal_greeting.html).

Ron