The six-week Christmas Fast is observed by the faithful of the Serbian and Russian Orthodox Churches, as well as the Jerusalem Patriarchate and Mount Athos, as they prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
During the Christmas Fast, meat, dairy products and eggs are not consumed, while oil and wine are permitted on all days except Wednesday and Friday, which are fasted “on water,” the Serbian Orthodox Church states.
On Christmas Eve, neither oil nor wine are used, and fasting “on water” is obligatory.
It is important for Orthodox Christians living in countries where New Year’s holidays are celebrated according to the new calendar not to break the fast during the Christmas Fast, but to celebrate the New Year according to the Orthodox calendar, respecting the tradition of their ancestors and church rules, the SOC notes.
True fasting has two aspects: physical and spiritual. It consists not only of abstaining from non-fasting foods, but also from evil thoughts, desires, and deeds, as well as dedicating oneself to prayer and acts of charity.
Spiritual fasting involves doing good deeds, forgiveness, prayer, and repentance, while physical fasting is a supporting means in the struggle against passions and sins, such as pride, which is considered the root of all further evil.
The Christmas Fast was established so that before the day of the “birth of Christ” we might cleanse ourselves through repentance, prayer, and fasting, and so that with pure hearts, souls, and bodies we may reverently welcome the Son of God.
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Source: RTS; Foto: Reuters