To begin with, in order: Great Lent in Church Slavonic – Forty days, which means the quantitative period of fasting is 40 days. Lent is observed not only by the Christian Church, it is the central office of all historical churches, as well as several Protestant denominations. The most common version explaining the installation of the fast is the fast of the son of God Christ, which lasts 40 days of Jesus’ stay in the wilderness. Fasting is a preparation for a sacred holiday, it is celebrated in worship with prayers of repentance, memories of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, but this is the generally accepted version of the origin of “fasting with a capital letter.”
Some theologians are inclined to believe that the variation of the origin of fasting is also correct, initially, as a preparation of pagans to accept Christianity. Great Lent became a kind of feat in the name of religion, the former pagan had to go through a certain path of purification, proving that he was able to suffer for Christ, while those baptized at Forty began to fast out of solidarity, seeing how hard their “neighbors” are pagans seeking enlightenment and one God.
But why is this post so “great” other than the breadth of its distribution? How is the diet of a fasting person so different from ordinary people?
The fast itself is preceded by four introductory weeks (weeks), which serve as the spiritual preparation of a Christian for the main and only meaning of fasting – repentance. Each of the weeks preceding Great Lent has its own name associated with the figures and events mentioned in one way or another in the scriptures: the Week of Zacchaeus, the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee, the Week of the Prodigal Son, and the Week of the Last Judgment.
The penultimate Sunday preceding Great Lent, the fall of Adam and Eve, is dedicated to the coming Last Judgment; this is the last day when it is allowed to eat meat (“conspiracy” on meat). The week following the Week of the Last Judgment is called Meatopust, a name that speaks, however, among the people, these seven days are better known as Shrovetide. Fish, eggs, cheese and dairy products are allowed in Myasopust; following certain rules, it is also allowed to eat bread. Preparation for fasting ends on the last Sunday of Maslenitsa – Forgiveness Sunday, also known among Christians as “Cheese Week” – it is not difficult to guess which product is allowed to be eaten on this day.
Lent itself lasts six weeks plus Holy Week. His first and last weeks are the strictest.
Products such as:
• Meat and meat products
• Fish and fish products (except for several days).
• Bird
• Eggs
• Milk and dairy products
• Sweets
• Bakery products
• Fast food
• Alcohol
The first day of fasting – Clean Monday and the last – Good Friday – are the days when you can not eat anything in principle: only spiritual food is allowed, which is necessary for the soul, not for the body. Many believers also prefer to refuse food on Holy Saturday (the last day before the onset of the holy holiday of Easter). Fish and fish products are not prohibited on Annunciation (April 7), if it does not coincide with Holy Week, and Palm Sunday. On Lazarev Saturday, caviar is allowed, however, fish is again prohibited.
As a result, the weekly diet of the fasting person looks like this:
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays – cold food without oil once a day – in the evening.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays – hot food without oil, also once a day, also in the evening.
On Saturdays and Sundays, it is allowed to eat vegetable oil and even grape wine, meals are taken twice – in the afternoon and in the evening.
The weakening of the fast is permissible for pregnant women, the elderly and travelers, but deeply religious people of all ages and positions prefer to observe Great Lent from beginning to end without deviations.
Thus, Great Lent – 40 days dedicated to a certain diet in order to cleanse the soul and mind, to prepare for the meeting of the Resurrection of the Lord – is actually like a huge number of current diets, widely advertised among young people. At first glance, the “menu” of the post looks extremely stingy, but the world wide web gives out a million and one site, where all kinds of options for dishes are detailed, not much different from restaurant masterpieces, and nevertheless, in no way violating the observance of the Forty-day, but the true post is to curb internal demons, language, anger, worldly pleasures, first of all, purification of oneself at the moral level, and, perhaps, a modern person should think about whether to take a step towards fasting in the choice between observing Orthodox fasting and some newfangled diet; after all, fasting requires cleansing the soul and body, while adherence to the rules prescribed by the nutritionist contributes only to maintaining shape; Of course, it is much more difficult to keep track of not only what you eat, but also what you do, but the result “at the exit” for adherents of one method or another will be radically different.
What you can eat in Great Lent:
• boiled and stewed vegetables, pickles;
• fruit, , ;
•;
• boiled in water without adding butter;
• containing a large amount of vegetable protein;
• products;
• fish and – on non-strict fasting days;
• and products from it;
•,,;
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