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Fasting in the Orthodox Church

Fasting is one of the oldest disciplines of the Christian life: setting aside certain foods for a season so that prayer, repentance and generosity can take deeper root. In the Orthodox Church it is never a diet and never an end in itself — it is training for the whole person, always joined to prayer and almsgiving, and always aimed at love of God and neighbour.

The traditional rule is simple to state, though it is kept in full mainly in monasteries. On a fasting day the Church abstains from meat, dairy and eggs, fish, wine and olive oil. Shellfish and other invertebrates are not counted as fish, which is why they appear on Lenten tables. On many days the rule is softened: the calendar may permit wine and oil (usual for Saturdays, Sundays and lesser feasts), or fish as well (for greater feasts that fall within a fast). Every day on this site is marked with the fast in effect and exactly what is permitted, so you never have to work it out yourself.

The rhythm of fasting runs through the whole year. Most Wednesdays and Fridays are fast days — Wednesday recalling the betrayal of Christ, Friday His crucifixion. Four seasonal fasts prepare for the great feasts: Great Lent and Holy Week before Pascha, the Apostles' Fast before the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the Dormition Fast in early August, and the Nativity Fast before Christmas. Three single days are also kept strictly: the Eve of Theophany (5 January), the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (29 August) and the Exaltation of the Cross (14 September). Balancing all this, certain weeks are entirely fast-free, even on Wednesday and Friday: the days after the Nativity until the Eve of Theophany, the week after the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee, Bright Week after Pascha, and the week after Pentecost.

If you are new to Orthodoxy, do not try to keep the whole rule at once, and do not measure yourself or anyone else by it. The rule is a monastic ideal that parishes apply with discernment; travel, illness, pregnancy and hospitality all soften it. Speak with your parish priest, begin with what is manageable — the weekly fast is the usual starting point — and let the discipline grow with you. As the saying of the Fathers goes, it is better to eat meat with humility than lentils with pride.

Reading the labels

Every day on this site is marked with one of these.

  • •Strict Fast — abstain from meat, dairy and eggs, fish, wine and oil
  • •Wine and Oil are Allowed — the strict rule softened, usual for Saturdays, Sundays and lesser feasts
  • •Fish, Wine and Oil are Allowed — a greater feast falling within a fast
  • •Wine, Oil and Caviar are Allowed — a Slavic usage for certain days, notably Lazarus Saturday
  • •Meat Fast — only meat is set aside; dairy, eggs and fish remain (the week before Great Lent)
  • •Fast Free — no fasting at all, even on Wednesday and Friday
  • •Shellfish and vegetables, fruits, grains and pulses are never restricted

The fasts of the year