TODAY WE CELEBRATE AUTUMN KRSTOVDAN: Observed with Strict Fasting, and These Customs Should Be Honored!

Krstovdan is a major holiday celebrated by the Serbian Orthodox Church and its faithful. It is the day when the Holy Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified was found and unearthed on Golgotha, and the day it was returned to Jerusalem from Persia.

This holiday is also called the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Vozdviženje Časnog krsta).

The significance of the holiday is demonstrated by the fact that our church observes it twice a year: on January 18th and September 27th, in remembrance of the finding of the Cross.

The Strict Rules of Fasting and Prayer

The most important rule that every adult should adhere to on this day is to spend it in fasting and prayer.

As mentioned, fasting is mandatory for today’s holiday, specifically suhojedenje (dry eating). According to the strictness or manner of abstinence, this type of fast is second only to complete abstinence from all kinds of food and drink (even water).

Suhojedenje entails consuming only dry food, or just bread and water, once a day.

It is important to remember that true fasting has two sides—physical and spiritual—and consists not only of abstaining from food cooked with fat but also of abstaining from bad thoughts, desires, and deeds, and increasing prayers, good deeds, and the practice of all evangelical virtues. Thus, Saint Basil warns: “Do not limit the benefit of the fast only to abstinence from food, because the true fast is the removal of evil deeds.” Fasting restrains gluttony and overindulgence.

Source: Kurir; Photo: Printscreen Youtube/TV Hram