Is there fasting at the Dormition? What to eat during the Dormition Fast, nutrition, Lenten dishes, prayer. Relaxation of fasting for the sick, pregnant women, travelers, beginners

One of four fasts, which ends with the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. Hence its name. Fasting is considered strict, equal to the Great Fast, but much shorter.

What is the essence of the Dormition Fast?

In total, believers fast four times a year:

Great Lent. The strictest and longest. Lasts for seven weeks. Ends with the Holy Resurrection of Christ - Easter.
Petrov post. It happens in the summer. It does not have a set number of days; its duration depends on when Trinity Sunday occurred. If Easter is early, then fasting begins earlier and is longer. There is an opinion that this fast is compensatory: those who were unable to fast during Great Lent can fast on Petrov. This fast is not strict, fish is allowed.
Dormition post. Installed in honor of the Mother of God in order to adequately prepare for the holiday.
Christmas or Filippov fast, ends on the feast of the Nativity of Christ. Lasts for six weeks. The fast is not strict, fish is allowed.

Fasting exists to cleanse the soul and body. A person abstains from immodest food, passions, idle talk, etc. The goal is to enlighten the soul and draw closer to God. The main thing is not abstinence from food, but mental abstinence.

As said Archpriest Andrey Tkachev: “What is important is not so much the physical, but the mental – the information post. This means abstaining from external information. Modern man absorbs as much information in a day as a peasant of the last century could not obtain in a year. It is important to refrain from idle talk, to keep your hearing, sight, and thoughts. This is more important than, for example, a student having to eat a burger. Abstaining from unnecessary information gives chastity and health to the soul.”

Besides During Lent we should strive to do more works of mercy: visit the sick, help the poor, welcome strangers, give to the poor. But if a person is not able to do this due to his financial situation, then he can do spiritual alms: console the suffering person with a kind word, suggest a useful book, pray for the person.

During Lent, you need to fight your passions: resentment, condemnation, vanity, anger, self-pity, laziness, etc.

Fasting in honor of the Mother of God

People gradually began to understand who the Mother of God is, what She created for humanity. The Gospel tells very little about Her. But this does not diminish Her role in history.

The Mother of God was humble and obedient to the will of God. She was always merciful to people and after death she continues to help. She is able to beg Her Son for the forgiveness of sins.

The Dormition Fast is a time for special glorification of the Mother of God. At this time, every day you need to read the prayers of the Mother of God, canon, akathist. You can simply read twelve prayers “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary” every day. If possible, it is better to read the akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos (Annunciation), since this is the prototype of all akathists. All other akathists were written in his likeness. This is a brilliant creation of the saints, surpassing in power the words of all the other akathists written later. In fact, this is the main akathist; the rest can be questioned.

Event in the Garden of Gethsemane

Archangel Gabriel branch from the Garden of Eden

Fasting serves as preparation for the holiday on which the Mother of God fell asleep in her body, but Christ resurrected Her later. Some say: how can you celebrate the death of a person, because usually this event is perceived as grief. But for the Mother of God it was truly a holiday. After the departure of Christ to Heaven, She felt bad and lonely on earth. She prayed every day in the Garden of Gethsemane so that her beloved Son would quickly take Her to Himself. And then one day, during such a prayer, a Archangel Gabriel and told the good news about Her imminent departure. He handed her branch from the Garden of Eden. She kept this twig; it was carried in front of Her coffin.

What you can and cannot eat during the Dormition Fast

Although physical fasting is not put in first place, you need to know what you are not allowed to eat during it.

The following should be excluded from the diet during this fast:

meat and meat products;
dairy products;
chicken eggs.

During the Dormition Fast you can eat plant foods: vegetables, fruits, cereals, bread. You can’t overeat on lean food either.

During the Dormition Fast there are two church holidays: the First Savior (honey) - the Removal of the Venerable Tree of Christ and the second. On the Transfiguration, eating fish is allowed. On the first Spas, new honey is blessed, on the second Spas, apples are blessed. The third Savior occurs after the end of Lent.

With the help of abstinence and prayer, believers prepare for the Feast of the Dormition in order to meet it with dignity and exclaim: “Rejoice, full of grace, who does not leave us after death!”

From open sources

One of the four multi-day fasts of the church year, the Assumption Fast, falls in the second half of August. It is considered as strict as Lent, but its observance is more pleasant, because it is recommended to deny yourself the usual food and activities for only a few weeks, and the period itself is festive.

When does the Assumption Fast begin?

The Dormition Fast is the only fast in Orthodoxy established in honor of the Mother of God. Accordingly, it begins two weeks before the great feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is celebrated annually on August 28. Hence the name.

Photos from open sources

That is, unlike other fasts of the church year, the Assumption Fast is not transitional - it is observed at the same time from 14 to 27 August.

It is extremely interesting that this was not always the case. Until the year 1000, it was part of the so-called “compensatory” summer fast for those who did not observe Lent. But due to human weakness, the entire month of July was excluded from it. Thus, the first part of the fast began to end on the feast of the apostles Peter and Paul on July 12, and the second formed the Dormition Fast.

What is the nutrition calendar for the Assumption Fast?

As already mentioned, during the Dormition Fast the severity of the meal is the same as during Lent: meat, dairy products and eggs are excluded from the diet, and fish is allowed only on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, which falls on August 19.

In other words, by day of the week the fasting menu looks like this:

Photos from open sources

It is worth noting that on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, regardless of what day of the week it falls on, you can eat fish, vegetable oil and wine.

There are some dietary features on the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 28), which is considered the end of Lent:

If it falls on Wednesday or Friday, that is, fish is allowed, and breaking the fast is postponed to the next day;

If we are talking about other days of the week, then there is no fasting.

Why is the Assumption Fast considered the most pleasant?

Besides the fact that the duration of the Assumption Fast is not calculated in months, the very atmosphere of its observance is pleasant.

The fact is that this period has long been considered festive by the people and has a completely different name - “Spasovka”, “Spozhinka”, etc. It marks the end of summer, the harvest and the harvest, which have always been very symbolic and important for agriculture. population.

So, on the first day of Lent, in churches they blessed the honey of the new harvest and blessed it for consumption.

In addition, the water was blessed. And also in wells and reservoirs. Bathing in such water symbolized cleansing from sins. After August 14, swimming in river water was no longer accepted.

Since poppy seeds, which are often used in Ukrainian cuisine, ripen by mid-August, they were also sacred.

Photos from open sources

They also brought bouquets of flowers and herbs to the church - “makoveychiki”. They were collected from plants that can be found in the field, vegetable garden and garden. It is believed that if the herbs are not blessed on the First Savior, the farm will not bloom.

The middle of the Assumption Lent falls on August 19, the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, which in folk tradition is known as From this day it was allowed to eat apples, grapes and other fruits of the new harvest, so they were consecrated in the church.

The end of the Assumption Fast is considered the beginning of another national holiday - Harvest, which is traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday of August (this year the 26th). On this day, they thanked God for all the gifts that people had in their cellars and storerooms and asked for a good harvest for the next year.

Many of these traditions are still alive today.

Assumption, like any other fast, is primarily a period of spiritual cleansing; food restrictions are ranked lower. It should not contribute to weight loss, but to strengthening a person’s spirituality, so it is very important to pray, confess and receive communion during fasting.

Photos from open sources

You need to learn to limit yourself in food gradually. A person who has never fasted before, if he begins to fast abruptly, is more likely to ruin his health than to get closer to holiness.

In order not to become irritated and impatient, each person must determine his fasting measure, in other words, how much food and drink he needs per day, and gradually reduce this amount to the minimum necessary for life.

At the same time, seriously ill people, pregnant women, nursing mothers, military personnel, workers engaged in heavy physical labor, travelers and children under 7 years of age may not fast. This category of people can limit themselves in other, non-gastronomic things. For example, do not watch TV or use social networks.

What you absolutely cannot do during the Dormition Fast

As noted above, during the Assumption Fast you cannot eat food of animal origin, nor drink alcoholic beverages.

In addition, weddings, weddings and other celebrations are unacceptable. Allegedly, the newlyweds will never be happy if they get married during the Dormition Fast.

Photos from open sources

Also during this period, conceiving children and displaying negative emotions are prohibited.

The Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is considered a time of positive change and renewal. Autumn is approaching, the seasons are changing, and the church calendar is coming to an end (it ends on September 14). On this holiday, you need to think only about good things and strive to improve your spirituality.

For reference!
The Feast of the Assumption is dedicated to the day of the death of St. Mary, the mother of Christ.

To people who are not familiar with religion, the celebration may seem strange. Why celebrate someone's death? It is worth delving into the history of the holiday to understand this.

Mary did not leave in suffering, like Christ. She knew about the day of her death - 3 days before leaving for heaven, Archangel Gabriel told her about it. Maria took the news calmly and even positively. Her earthly journey was over, the time had come to go to the Lord.

After 3 days, Maria really died, but she left without pain and suffering. "Dormition" means "sleep." This is exactly how the death of Mary can be characterized: she fell into a sweet sleep and ascended. She was received by the angels and the Savior himself.

What happened should be perceived not as death, but as a transition from the imperfect earthly to the ideal heavenly. Mary was accepted into heaven, where she continued to watch over the laity and pray for the salvation of mankind.

So, the feast of the Assumption, taking into account its background, is one of the most sublime and brightest. It is customary to have fun and have feasts on it. Many Orthodox Christians loved the Dormition so much that they erected numerous churches in different cities of Russia in honor of this festival.

The fast, which is kept before the day of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary for two weeks, should prepare a person for the bright holiday. First of all, he must clear his mind, and food restrictions are placed at the second level in importance.

What can you eat

Dry eating is the consumption of foods that have not been subjected to heat treatment. It can be fruits and vegetables, salad. Bread is also allowed, regardless of whether it was baked. Hot food without oil - baked or boiled, in the preparation of which no vegetable oils were used.

This reflects the daily nutrition calendar for the Dormition Fast 2020, compiled in accordance with the monastic charter. It is designed for monks and is therefore strict. Lay people may not follow some of the instructions; this will be discussed below.

There are two relaxations in the calendar related to holidays. So, August 14 - The origin of the honest trees of the Life-giving Cross, which is also called the Honey Savior. Sometimes they also talk about him as Poppy, since August 14 is also the day of remembrance of the 7 Old Testament martyrs of the Maccabees.

The second significant holiday is August 19, the Transfiguration of the Lord, or the Savior of the Apple. This is the only day during the entire 2 weeks when you are allowed to eat fish.

Fasting of monks and laity: main differences

The daily nutrition calendar for Dormition Lent 2020 may vary greatly from different sources. This is explained by the fact that there are two types of restrictions: for monks and lay people. The first option is much stricter, the second is softer.

In a monastery, a person completely devotes himself to serving God, masters asceticism, and therefore it is easier to give up his usual food. In addition, most of the monks are healthy people who can endure temporary hardships.

Interesting!
A specially trained chef prepares in the monastery kitchen, who knows how to make Lenten dishes nutritious and filled with essential microelements.

All this does not exist in the world: the laity do not know how to observe strict restrictions, cannot do this because of their health, and do not know the secrets of preparing Lenten food. In this regard, the food for the laity is much richer. Unlike monks, they can refuse dry eating and eat thermally processed food any day.

Oil is also allowed without restrictions. What you should give up is meat, milk and eggs. You can periodically eat fish - not only on Apple Day, but also on weekends.

Should fast food be tasteless?

Many people mistakenly assume that Lenten foods, even those adapted for lay people, must be tasteless or tasteless. After all, fasting is considered a time of humility, when it is necessary to give up earthly pleasures in order to cleanse your soul. In fact, no one forbids cooking tasty and satisfying food.

You just need to follow a few rules:

Spend less money on food than usual;
devote less time to the cooking process;
try to give up thoughts about food and direct your mind to another, more highly spiritual activity.

Note!
Despite avoiding animal products, you can use many plant-based seasonings.

Sorrel, bay leaf, horseradish, mustard, vegetable oil (olive, sesame, flaxseed, sunflower, if we are talking about lay people) - all this allows you to make even simple soups and porridges taste good. The only thing the clergy advise is not to think about sophistication and not to overeat.

There is no need to spend a lot of time decorating plates, setting the table in a special way, or coming up with special ways to consume food. You should not overeat; even if you eat too much simple porridge without oil, a person will succumb to gluttony.

When can you not fast?

The nutrition calendar for the days of the Dormition Fast in 2020 will help you prepare food according to the monastery charter. Hosts can prepare food and create their own meals that meet the restrictions.

However, there are situations when using homemade food is not possible. For example, an Orthodox family goes on a visit, where the hosts prepare regular, non-lenten food. Is it worth refusing a treat to please the rules?

Everything should be so that the owners are not offended, but at the same time those fasting do not succumb to passions. The main thing is not to slip into blasphemy. What does it mean? These are situations when the hosts, who are setting the table, know that the guests are fasting, but deliberately offer them a taste of savory food.

Such hosts offer ordinary dishes not out of ignorance, but because of a poor attitude towards church customs. They believe that they can and even should be neglected. One should not agree to the proposals of such owners of the house where fasting people come to visit.

Fact!
Such an act will be regarded as cowardice and gluttony. The believer is told in direct words to give up the rules of the church, and he agrees to this - obviously this is a sin.

But there is another situation when there is nothing wrong with eating regular food. Believers who are currently fasting have gone to people who are not knowledgeable about religious matters. Maybe they know about fasting, but they don’t understand at all when it begins and ends, and what restrictions there are.

As a result, owners can prepare hot food, dishes in oil, meat, fish and dishes using milk. They do this not out of malice in order to force guests to break tradition, but out of ignorance. Such owners should not be offended by refusing food.

This will be regarded as arrogance: they say that the guests neglect the efforts of the hosts and put traditions above their feelings. But one of the main rules of Christianity is friendliness towards others.

So, if a fasting person was baked meat pies by his beloved grandmother, who would be upset by the refusal, or he was invited to visit by a good friend who spent a lot of effort and money on the feast, you can break the fast. The main thing is to observe moderation.

It’s one thing to eat food out of politeness, it’s another thing to overeat on it, taking advantage of the opportunity to violate the daily nutrition calendar established for the Dormition Fast 2020.

Relaxations in fasting for children, the sick and weak

Fasting imposes strict restrictions on nutrition, even if we are talking about a menu adjusted for the laity, in which dry eating and restriction of oil are abolished. What to do for those for whom food restrictions can become a serious danger? Is it possible to refuse the rules?

Not everyone should follow the daily nutrition calendar and the Assumption Fast 2020 in general. There are categories of people whom both doctors and priests strictly forbid from fasting:

1. Children under 7 years old. At this age, you cannot give up protein and amino acids; these substances are very important for proper growth.
2. Girls during puberty. The principle is the same: food restrictions will not allow the body to form.
3. Elderly people. People over 50-55 years old should not give up animal products, but increase their daily protein intake. With age, the need for them increases.
4. Persons who have recently undergone surgery, an infectious or viral disease, anyone who has a weakened immune system or is in the process of healing a serious wound.
5. People with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
6. Persons with endocrine system disorders.
7. Citizens who suffer from anemia.
8. Pregnant and lactating women.

For these 8 categories, you don’t have to think about nutrition during the Dormition Fast; it’s better to take care of your own health. Let us remind you that this fast is considered a period of purification and joy. It will not be better for anyone if a believer suffers by torturing his body.

Relaxations are also being made for those who travel between August 14 and August 27. When constantly moving, it is difficult to find suitable lean food, and it is impossible to cook on your own.

If a person is engaged in heavy physical or mental labor, he can also, at his own discretion, completely abandon fasting. A lack of protein and fatty acids will negatively affect the body’s performance, and the need to constantly look for lean foods, hunger, and stress will worsen mental productivity.

In addition to all of the above, even an ordinary, healthy person can move from the post for the laity to lighter restrictions if he feels that he cannot cope. To do this, it is enough to turn to your confessor for advice.

Important!
The main thing during fasting is not diet, but spiritual humility. If refusing certain food will strengthen the negative aspects of character, then the confessor will allow you not to fast.

The daily nutrition calendar for the period of the Dormition Fast 2020 can also be compiled individually, taking into account the relaxations. The confessor will also help with this.

During fasting, you can eat tasty and satisfying food without experiencing hunger or irritation. The main thing during this period is to cleanse yourself spiritually, and keeping the calendar is a secondary task. Any confessor will confirm this. Whether or not to fast is the business of every believer.

The Assumption Fast in 2020 begins on August 14-27 with the amber honey Savior, its center is the Transfiguration of the Lord, and ends with the azure holiday of the Dormition of the Mother of God.

What date is the Assumption Fast in 2020?

The Assumption Fast begins on August 14– the shortest of all posts, it lasts only two weeks. It ends on August 27.

“Unlike what many believe and feel is a period of spiritual tension (say, during Lent or fasting), the Dormition Fast is a time of joy, because it is a time of returning home, a time when we can come to life. The Dormition Fast should be a time when we shake off everything that has become dilapidated and dead in us, in order to gain the ability to live - to live with all the spaciousness, with all the depth and intensity to which we are called.

As long as this moment of joy is inaccessible and incomprehensible to us, we will end up with a monstrous and blasphemous parody; We, as if in the name of God, will turn life into sheer torment for ourselves and for those who will have to pay for our fruitless attempts to become saints” (Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh).

Days Dormition Fast are already considered autumn, and indeed - they open the gates of a new season, and end the church year: September 14 in the new style - the church new year.

the only one dedicated to the Mother of God: it begins two weeks before the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Dormition Fast is almost as strict as Lent: fish is allowed only on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. for which the Dormition Fast is preparing us - one of the most unexpected holidays for the secular worldview: what is being celebrated? Is it possible to celebrate death?! But the Slavic word “dormition” means sleep. The meaning of the Feast of the Assumption is that there is no longer that death that awaited everyone before the Resurrection of Christ, after that there is no more sorrow about death, there is no fear of it.

The Apostle Paul, who sang victory with the words of the ancient prophet: “Death! where is your sting? hell! where is your victory?”, says: “for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1.21). And after departing from earthly life, the Most Holy Theotokos does not leave the world: “At the Nativity you preserved your virginity, at the Dormition you did not forsake the world, O Mother of God...” - reminds us of a church hymn.

According to church tradition, the Mother of God learned about the time of Her transition from this world. She prepared for this transition by fasting and intense prayer, although She did not need cleansing of the soul or correction - Her whole life was an example of holiness and sacrifice. The Orthodox fast, imitating the feat of the Most Holy Theotokos, wanting to at least partially become like Her purity, and praising Her.

The Church especially emphasizes that fasting is fundamentally different from vegetarianism or: it is, first of all, abstinence for the sake of Christ - both in bodily pleasures and in mental entertainment. Believers try, with the help of God, to overcome a certain shortcoming of theirs, to return peace and harmony to those relationships with their neighbors.

Dormition- one of the most beloved holidays in Rus': since the time of Saint Prince Vladimir, Assumption churches began to appear throughout Rus': the cathedral Kiev Church, the Tithe Church was dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. By the 14th century Assumption churches as the main churches were built in Suzdal, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Zvenigorod. The main Moscow temple, founded in the Kremlin in the 14th century, was also consecrated in the name of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.

After the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ into Heaven, the Most Holy Virgin lived mainly in the Jerusalem region, visiting places where Her Son preached and performed miracles. She especially loved to visit the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed for a long time there, from where Christ was led to trial and suffering on the cross. The Most Holy Virgin prayed for the conversion of the stubborn Jewish people to the faith and for new churches established by the apostles in different countries. She herself preached a lot of the good news of the Resurrection of Christ.

And at the end of one such prayer, Archangel Gabriel appeared before Her, who appeared to Her more than once, proclaiming the commands of God. Radiant with joy, He informed Her that in three days the path of Her earthly life would end and God would take Her to His eternal abodes. At the same time, He gave Her a heavenly branch, shining with an unearthly light. Returning from the Mount of Olives, the Mother of God began to prepare for her departure from this life.

The hour came when the Mother of God was to repose. Candles were burning in the room, and the Mother of God was reclining on a decorated bed, surrounded by people who loved Her. Suddenly the temple was illuminated by the extraordinary light of Divine glory and in an unusual light the Lord Jesus Christ Himself descended from heaven, surrounded by Angels and the souls of the Old Testament righteous.
The Mother of God, looking at Her Son, as if sweetly falling asleep, without any bodily suffering, betrayed Her pure soul into His hands. Later, remembering this event, the Church in one of its hymns sings: “The angels, having seen the Dormition of the Most Pure One, were surprised at how the Virgin was raptured from earth to Heaven.”

According to legend, during the burial of the Mother of God, the apostles carried the bed on which Her Most Pure Body rested, and a huge number of believers, surrounding the procession, sang sacred songs. The Apostle Thomas did not have time for the burial of the Mother of God, and he was allowed to enter the cave where the Mother of God was buried so that he could worship Her for the last time. But, entering the cave, they saw only Her burial shrouds, emitting a pleasant fragrance, but the body of the Mother of God itself was not there. Struck by this incomprehensible disappearance of Her body, they realized that the Lord Himself had deigned to take the most pure body to Heaven before the general resurrection.

The Dormition Fast has been established since ancient times of Christianity - mentions of it have been known since 450.

Summer posts

Everyone now knows about Lent, and even some non-church people try to observe it. But having heard about other fasts, especially summer fasts, many are perplexed: what is the meaning of such a frequent refusal of pleasure? Sometimes even for the Orthodox, fasting, which during the years of neophyte seemed something significant and deep, over time turns into a duty. Housewives have more trouble in the kitchen, more money is spent... So what is the point of fasting? How to fast for the benefit of the soul? Famous priests answer these questions.

During fasting, many advise not only to give up fast food, but also to generally pay less attention to culinary issues. In fact, it is fasting that becomes a test for the housewife. More money is spent (lenten products are more expensive), all thoughts are only about what to feed my husband and children. When there is no fasting, it’s easier, there’s more choice, you don’t have to think about it all the time. Is this right?

Archpriest Valerian KRECHETOV, rector of the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in the village of Akulovo, Moscow region, confessor of the Moscow diocese:

— Real plant-based nutrition is generally free. Of course, in the city you can’t grow anything on concrete, but in rural areas it’s enough to have a patch of land to have everything you need. During the Dormition Fast, the cooks in the church rest: they go out to the garden, pick nettles, chives, onions, choose a few potatoes - and the vegetable soup is ready! Fast, tasty, healthy! We treat nettles and nettles like weeds, but St. Seraphim of Sarov ate only nettles for two years! Nowadays everyone throws away beet tops; they forgot about such a tasty dish as botvinya. In fact, the tops from beets, but also from carrots and turnips are edible and useful.

And for the winter we need to prepare vegetables, mushrooms, and sorrel. Then during Great Lent you will always have delicious lean cabbage soup on your table. And for the second there is nothing better and healthier than porridge. Buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, pearl barley (by the way, the favorite porridge of Peter I and Suvorov). I wonder what savory dish is cheaper than porridge? But porridge does not require any special art. The problem is that we have completely lost our food culture. Give the children buckwheat, cottage cheese, milk at the holiday - they will not touch anything. But they will drink all the Coca-Cola and eat all the chips. Their taste is spoiled from an early age. And housewives with the same spoiled taste prefer not to strain themselves; they buy semi-finished products from unknown materials in the supermarket.

The fable "The Dragonfly and the Ant" is still relevant. Some people work, prepare for Lent, prepare pickles for the winter, freeze fresh vegetables so that they can eat tasty and healthy food during Lent, others don’t bother themselves, don’t even want to show their imagination, they themselves eat whatever they can and force their family to do so. But cooking is very interesting, I would love to cook it myself, but I don’t have enough time. I know that academician-surgeon Alexander Fedorovich Chernousov always prepares pepper himself in the fall; his wife does everything only under his command. And I know many men who cook better than their other halves.

Probably, lean semi-finished products are expensive - I don’t know, I don’t eat them. There is an even more important issue than costs. We have forgotten the main purpose of food. Socrates said: many live to eat, but I eat to live. Food is given to us for life, to maintain bodily strength. And plant foods are, of course, more suitable for this, they are healthier, healthier. For example, scientists have calculated that porcini mushroom soup is seven times healthier than meat soup of the same calorie content. We are no smarter than our ancestors, who fasted and were much healthier than us.

I'm not even talking about the fact that meat (and sometimes, alas, fish) products that are sold in stores today, as a rule, simply cannot be eaten. What did you feed the same broiler? It’s better not to think, but to eat healthy plant foods from your garden. We once received a bishop during Great Lent. Porcini mushrooms, chanterelles, honey mushrooms, boletus, milk mushrooms, and saffron milk caps stood separately on the table. Tell me, has at least one millionaire seen such an assortment on his table? I doubt.

Is it necessary to eat tasteless food during the Dormition Fast?

You can prepare delicious dishes from lean products. Isn't this a sin? Maybe it’s right to give up not only modest, but generally tasty food during Lent?

Archpriest Alexander BORISOV, rector of the Church of the Holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian in Shubin (Moscow):

“You can diversify your Lenten food so much that you won’t even want to break your fast.” Especially during the Assumption Fast - at the end of summer there are a lot of cheap vegetables and fruits. But such a post loses its meaning. After all, the essence of fasting is not simply the abstinence of animal food, but the limitation of pleasures. By consciously depriving ourselves of the comfort we get from delicious food and wine, we become more sensitive to spiritual life. If a person is concerned about how to eat more deliciously, he has no time for spiritual things. Although he refuses animal food, he does not receive the joy of life in the Lord. Everything has its time. Lent ends - the holiday comes, and we rejoice, set the festive table, invite guests, treat them to delicious food, glorify the Lord together, including thanking Him for the delicious meal, because this is also a gift from God. And while fasting, worrying about food should take a minimum of time. But artificially making food tasteless is not only unnecessary, but also sinful - we eat for the glory of God! Lenten foods should be simple, healthy and quick to prepare. And we must not forget about moderation - if you eat your fill of simple potatoes, you will also have no time for prayer, no time for reading the Gospel, no time for thinking about the eternal.

- We get pleasure from everything in life - from every flower, from the sun, from the singing of birds, the rustling of leaves. And from the fact that we just breathe. Why not live? It just takes discretion. It is normal to enjoy the reasonable satisfaction of needs. Sin - when this satisfaction turns into passion, we want to be more and more satisfied, to eat more and more sophisticatedly. The first is gluttony, the second is guttural madness.

Of course, fasting implies limiting pleasures, but only deep prayerists and ascetics can eat completely tasteless food and not notice it. For most people, especially the laity, it’s hard even during Lent without any consolation. Often people, especially beginners, having read about the exploits of saints, try to imitate them outwardly, including fasting very strictly, mercilessly towards themselves, and as a result they become despondent, some even bring themselves to nervous breakdowns. We need a measure, which is different for everyone. The food should be simple, but quite filling and tasty. A simple person cannot eat without pleasure.

— Priest confessor Afanasy (Sakharov) said: “Eat at least tasty, but lean food.” Eating tasteless is not our limit. On Monday of the first week of Great Lent, the stichera is sung: “We fast with a pleasant fast, pleasing to the Lord: true fasting is, alienation of the evil, abstinence of the tongue, putting aside rage, excommunication of lusts, speaking, lying and perjury. This impoverishment is a true and favorable fast.” My father, Archpriest Michael, always said at meals during Great Lent: “Let us fast with a pleasant fast” - and stopped there.

How to behave at a party during the Dormition Fast?

What to do if someone invites you to visit during Lent? It is not always possible to refuse without offending loved ones. Should you ask them in advance to have Lenten food on the table, or be guided by the fact that love is higher than fasting? More often we choose the second, but is there any guile in this?

Archpriest Konstantin OSTROVSKY, rector of the Assumption Church in the city of Krasnogorsk, Moscow region, dean of churches in the Krasnogorsk region:

- On the meat-free Saturday, there is an apostolic reading, which says: “If one of the infidels calls you and you want to go, then eat everything that is offered to you without any examination, for peace of conscience. But if anyone says to you, “This is sacrificed to idols,” then do not eat...” (1 Cor. 10:27-28). We usually neglect this instruction of the Apostle Paul out of pride, lust and cowardice.

Here are two typical situations. We came to visit people who knew that we were observing fasts and who knew that it was a fasting day, but the owners, despising church regulations, persuaded us: “Come on, you’re a guest, it’s okay if you break the fast once.” And we, partly out of voluptuousness, and partly out of cowardice, do not tire of temptation and, as a condemnation to ourselves, we eat food that in itself is pure, but our gluttony and man-pleasing make it “sacrificed to idols,” about which the Apostle Paul said: “Do not eat.”

And here is the second example. People who are completely unchurched treat us with all their hearts, not intending to seduce, but simply not knowing about our rules. But we puff out our cheeks out of arrogance or suck them in out of false humility and refuse to eat, thereby embarrassing our owners. Or maybe if they heard the gospel of Christ and saw sincere love and humility in us, they themselves would want to become Christians and then they would already observe fasts. But, seeing our pride and not wanting to become the same as us, won’t they involuntarily blaspheme the Church of God, which in fact is not to blame for the fact that during Lent we wander around among secular guests and neglect the instructions of the Holy Apostle Paul?

If, when we find ourselves visiting non-church people, we retreat from fasting so as not to embarrass them, this is a matter of humility, and if, when we come home, we continue to eat fast food, this is no longer a matter of humility, but of gluttony. We are, of course, talking about food, and not about drunkenness, which is always sinful: both during fasting and not during fasting.

What food is considered lean?

On what basis are products divided into more or less lean? On many days of the Nativity and Petrov fasts, eating fish is blessed. Why is it considered less lean than dairy products?

Hegumen HERMOGEN (Ananyev):

— The strictest fast is dry eating. The relaxations are in the following order: boiled food, sunflower oil, wine, fish, dairy products and eggs, meat. No wonder - mammals were created with humans on the same day. For the same reason, we consider dairy products to be a more frugal food than fish - they are also part of the flesh of mammals.

— During Lent, it is right to spend less money on food than usual, freeing up funds for charity. This is an old church tradition, and the gradation of Lenten dishes is associated with it. In places of early Christianity, fish and seafood were much cheaper than dairy products, and therefore were considered more lean. Nowadays, on the contrary, they are much more expensive and higher in calories - this is obvious to me as a biologist. Fish has much more protein than any dairy product. Perhaps it is worth reconsidering the tradition, born in other climatic and economic conditions, and swapping fish and dairy products - that is, considering dairy products to be leaner. But this can only be decided collectively.

Does your relationship with God depend on meat?

Many non-church people do not understand when Orthodox friends refuse fast food during fasting. They say something like this: “What does it matter to God whether I eat meat? How might giving up meat affect my relationship with Him?”

Priest Sergiy PASHKOV, rector of the Epiphany Church in the village of Byki, Kurchatovsky district, Kurchatov region, head of the judo section for children and teenagers in the village of Makarovka, Kurchatovsky district:

“In one patericon I read about an old man who, when he fell ill in old age, began to eat meat on the advice of doctors. He was a monk, and monks, as you know, do not eat meat at all. And his brother, a layman, began to condemn the elder for this in his soul, thinking to himself: it would be better if he died from his illness than violated the monastic tradition. And one day he heard the voice of God: “Why do you condemn your brother? If you want to know what he became like in his inner life, look to the right.” He turned and saw his brother crucified on the cross. That is, in his inner structure the elder was like Christ, and the meat he ate did not harm his spiritual life in the least. Food does not distance us from God and does not bring us closer to Him. The purpose of fasting is to abstain from passions, from judging one’s neighbor, and refusal of fasting food is only a means to achieve this goal.

Archpriest Alexy POTOKIN, assistant rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Life-Giving Spring” in Tsaritsyn (Moscow):

- If you have ever fallen in love, remember how much you were worried at that moment about what you would eat for lunch or dinner? I think not very much, because when a person is truly in love, the need for food weakens, he devotes a minimum of attention and time to it. And if I have love for God, His wisdom, beauty, holiness pleases me, I am glad that I have the opportunity to be alone with Him, putting aside all worries, forgetting bad habits. Abstinence is not an end in itself, but a way to restore a relationship with God as with an old friend. This is only possible if we control ourselves and our bad habits.

Before the Fall, man was pure; in his angelic form he listened to the Word of God and heard Him. And then he ate only plant foods. For us, such a condition is rare. We are cunning, selfish, irritable. Any doctor will tell you that when a person is irritated or angry with someone, he spends much more energy. Meat and other animal food were blessed by God to support the strength of fallen man, spiritually weak and passionate. But this food strengthens our bodily strength, and in order to restore our connection with God, we must at least temporarily humble our flesh so that it does not disturb us so much.

If I want to communicate more with God, I need to be at least a little distracted from the bustle of society, pay a little less attention to it. And giving up animal food helps this. The Gospel does not teach us to fight excesses, but calls us to look for treasure: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34). If this treasure is in communication with another person, we naturally think less about satiety. Especially if our treasure is in communion with God. And after you have been alone with God, it is wonderful to sit down to a common holiday meal. The lost connection has been restored, love has returned to the heart, the world has sparkled with all its colors, and we celebrate and praise the Lord!

Consecration of the harvest during the Dormition Fast

The Dormition Fast is almost as strict as Great Lent. According to church regulations, hot food with butter is allowed only on Saturday and Sunday, and dry eating is prescribed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. During this fast, fish is eaten only once - on the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19).

At the same time, believers try to agree on the extent of their fast with the priest, based on their physical capabilities, health, severity of physical labor and other circumstances - one should not take the feat beyond one’s strength.

Beginning with the Transfiguration of the Lord, the fruits of the new harvest also appear at the meal. The site receives many questions about when and why you can eat grapes and apples from the new harvest.

"Hello! Even as a child, my grandmother said that apples should not be eaten before the Transfiguration, especially for parents who have lost children, because... this is reflected in the deceased baby. Please tell me how to do it right."

Hello!

As for the prohibition “not to eat apples before the Transfiguration,” in fact this prohibition, according to the instructions of the Typikon, concerns grapes.

Apples are already our domestic replacement. But the point is to consecrate the firstfruits of the harvest, and then eat them. Those. the prohibition applies to the fruits of this year's harvest.

And of course, all these stories about how eating apples affects dead children have nothing to do with reality.

Priest Dimitry Karpenko

The three August holidays dedicated to the All-Merciful Savior were timed in the Ancient Church to consecrate various fruits of the earth, which ripened precisely at this time. On the Feast of the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross, honey and all herbal potions were blessed, on the Feast of the Transfiguration - grapes, apples and other fruits, on the Feast of the Savior Not Made by Hands, nuts were blessed. There was a pious custom that prescribed not to eat grapes and apples before consecration on the Feast of the Transfiguration.

The meaning of this custom is mainly that a Christian, in his everyday life, strives to sanctify all his actions, objects - everything that surrounds him. In addition, any abstinence performed in the name of the Lord contributes to the development of a person’s spiritual strength, helps to fight sinful passions, and strengthens faith. The subsequent eating of the consecrated fruits makes the holiday more joyful.

Priest Mikhail Vorobyov

There is no fast for apples, because there is no fast for apples, carrots or grapes. But there is a tradition recorded in the Typikon (Church Charter): monks who ate the grapes before the Transfiguration are deprived of the right to eat the grapes for the entire month of August. This also applies to those who guard the grapes.

The tradition also existed for farmers who brought the first fruits of their labors to the temple for consecration. Today's tradition is that in August before the Transfiguration we try not to eat the new harvest, because on this day we thank God for it. But, of course, it is difficult to thoroughly observe this tradition.

But if we have a garden, then it will be very cool and very symbolic to collect the apples that are ripe for the Transfiguration and bring them for consecration. The consecration of fruits is our gratitude to God for sending us a harvest from year to year. Based on this gratitude, we try not to eat the new harvest, each to the best of our ability. But at the same time, there is no strict rule, especially since the Assumption Fast is underway and you need to eat something plant-based. In the Typikon, if this tradition is violated, it does not say about the monk’s sin that he “did not abstain,” and the punishment is not severe - not to eat until the end of August.

So, the main thing here is not to eat or not to eat, but to thank God for the harvest he sends.

Priest Alexander Ryabkov

Anna Danilova spoke with Priest Dimitry Turkin

– The Most Holy Theotokos – why do we honor Her?

– We honor the Most Holy Theotokos for what She has done for us. She accomplished a great feat that no person could accomplish. She is one of the living people and, at the same time, She is higher than all people.

Therefore we honor Her in a special way. We honor saints, we honor authority: we honor everything that is higher than us, everything that is higher is worthy of veneration. But each level has its own special veneration. We honor the Most Holy Theotokos as the best of all people living and who have lived, but also the most honest and most glorious of the heavenly powers - the cherubim and seraphim. This is very important - She was God’s chosen one, the One who was chosen by the Creator Himself for His service. Any sincere believer cannot help but venerate the Most Holy Theotokos.

How beautifully St. spoke about this. Filaret of Moscow: “In the days of the creation of the world, when God spoke His living and powerful: let it be, the word of the Creator brought creatures into the world; but on this day, unparalleled in the existence of the world, when the Divine Mariam uttered Her meek and obedient “wake up” - I barely dare to say what happened then - the word of the creature brings down the Creator into the world. And here God speaks His word: “Conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son... He will be great... He will reign in the house of Jacob forever.” But - which is again marvelous and incomprehensible - the very Word of God hesitates to act, held back by the word of Mary: what will this be? Her humbleness was needed: be, so that God’s majestic might act: let it be. What kind of hidden power lies in these simple words: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be unto Me according to Thy word,” and produces such an extraordinary effect? “This wonderful power is Mary’s purest and perfect devotion to God, with will, thought, soul, whole being, every ability, every action, every hope and expectation” (Sermon on the Day of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, 1822).

If we have doubts about this or hear protests against the veneration of the Blessed Virgin, then we see in this not so much incorrect reasoning as a deep misunderstanding of the essence of what Her Son created and what She created.

She bowed her head under the holy yoke of the Lord, accepted the highest shrine, the Son of God himself, and this is enough to explain the veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos.

– Sometimes you hear from parishioners: “I believe in the Lord, the Mother of God and St. Nicholas" or "St. Nikolai is like a second God.” Is this attitude close to paganism? What should be the correct veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos and the holy saints of God?

– Yes, of course, this is paganism in its own way, but it’s not enough to just say it, we need to explain why this attitude is wrong.

For many reasons, in human society, a person’s judgment about the world, about society, about the heavenly world has lost the concept of hierarchy. This is the deepest root answer. The whole world is built hierarchically. Was it designed this way by God? The higher dominates the lower. This is arranged in descending steps - it is hardly possible for a person to fully comprehend this Divinely established hierarchy. It does take place. Any scientist, peering into the structure of the world, sees this hierarchy, describes it in scientific terms, but if his philosophy and worldview are incorrect, he will not see the true hierarchy, the fact that the entire picture of the world, with all its subordination, comes from God. This is what happens here too. A person, honoring what he understands, ceases to offer his prayer where it can be directed.

Through the saints, through the Mother of God, through the king, we offer prayer to the Almighty. Of course, this will not work through worldly power - through the president or the municipality.

We see our everyday world, structured incorrectly, and we transfer this incorrect construction of the world to the world of God.

We need to look at our world through the Divine hierarchy.

How to help people see the world correctly? We must first help them see what is wrong in their lives, their souls, then they will see the world of God differently. Then they will see that only You, Lord, can fix everything, only You are my hope and my hope in Your Mother, the Most Pure Theotokos, and Your saints.

– You often hear that the veneration of saints in the Orthodox Church is no different from paganism? What is the difference?

– Of course, it’s wrong to think like that.

Firstly, we believe that the saints pray for us - not themselves, but with their own strength, they help us. Saints are not gods, but they intercede for us before God. We can give analogies: when we need something from a big boss, we will rely not so much on the power of our conviction, but we will ask those who stand above us and closer to him to put in a word for us, to ask for us. All the miracles that they perform do not happen by some personal power of theirs, but by the grace of God: the Lord acts through the saints.

Pagan consciousness is based on the principle of predestination: a certain sum of actions and rituals or sacrifices must lead to a certain result. The task of Christians is not to oblige God to do what we want, but we want Him to make us the way He planned for us, so that we change under the rays of His light and grace. In paganism we influence God, and in Christianity God influences us.

– In Catholicism there is a dogma about the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Why does the Orthodox Church consider him infidel, consider him a heresy?

– The dogma of the Immaculate Conception says that the Most Holy Theotokos, from the point of view of Catholic dogma, from the moment of conception was free from sin and was redeemed from the beginning. And since She was redeemed and did not need redemption, it turns out that if this was possible for one person, then the death of Christ was no longer necessary. And we know that not a single person was free from original sin, everyone needed redemption by the blood of the Son of God, and until the blood was offered on the Cross, everyone, including the Most Holy Theotokos, needed this redemption.

– Father, tell us about the very first icons of the Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos.

– The first icon was the icon of the Savior, which we now know as the Image Not Made by Hands.

Tradition testifies that at the time of the Savior’s preaching in the Syrian city of Edessa, Abgar ruled. He was stricken all over with leprosy. The rumor about the great miracles performed by the Lord spread throughout Syria (Matthew 4:24) and reached Abgar. Not seeing the Savior, Abgar believed in Him as the Son of God and wrote a letter asking him to come and heal him. With this letter, he sent his painter Ananias to Palestine, instructing him to paint an image of the Divine Teacher. Ananias came to Jerusalem and saw the Lord surrounded by people. He could not approach Him because of the large crowd of people listening to the Savior’s sermon. Then he stood on a high stone and tried to paint the image of the Lord Jesus Christ from afar, but he never succeeded. The Savior Himself called him, called him by name and conveyed a short letter to Abgar, in which, having pleased the faith of the ruler, he promised to send His disciple for healing from leprosy and guidance to salvation. Then the Lord asked to bring water and ubrus (canvas, towel). He washed his face, wiped it with rubbish, and His Divine Face was imprinted on it. Ananias brought the ubrus and the letter of the Savior to Edessa. Abgar accepted the shrine with reverence and received healing.

The first icons of the Most Holy Theotokos, according to legend, were painted by the Evangelist Luke - he was among the first apostles. There were also images of the Mother of God not made by hands.

– What are the main types of icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary?

1. "Praying"

(“Oranta”, “Panagia”, “Sign”). This image is already found in the catacombs of the first Christians. The Mother of God is depicted on the icon from the front, usually waist-length, with her arms raised to the level of her head, spread to the sides and bent at the elbows. (Since ancient times, this gesture has meant a prayerful appeal to God.) On Her bosom, against the background of a round sphere, is Savior Emmanuel. Icons of this type are also called “Oranta” (Greek “praying”) and “Panagia” (Greek “all-holy”). On Russian soil this image was called “The Sign,” and this is how it happened. On November 27, 1169, during the assault on Novgorod by Andrei Bogolyubsky’s squad, residents of the besieged city brought an icon to the wall. One of the arrows pierced the image, and the Mother of God turned her face to the city, shedding tears. Tears fell on the phelonion of the Novgorod Bishop John, and he exclaimed: “Oh, a wondrous miracle! How do tears flow from a dry tree? To the Queen! You give us a sign that by this you pray before Your Son for the deliverance of the city.” Inspired Novgorodians repelled the Suzdal regiments... In an Orthodox church, images of this type are traditionally placed at the top of the altar.

2. “Guidebook” (“Hodegetria”)

On this icon we see the Mother of God, whose right hand points to the Infant Christ, seated on his left hand. The images are strict, straightforward, the heads of Christ and the Blessed Virgin do not touch each other. The Mother of God seems to be telling the entire human race that the true path is the path to Christ. In this icon She appears as a guide to God and eternal salvation. This is also one of the oldest types of image of the Virgin Mary, which is believed to go back to the first icon painter - the Holy Apostle Luke. In Rus', the most famous icons of this type are Smolenskaya, Tikhvinskaya, and Iverskaya.

3. “Tenderness” (“Eleusa”)

On the icon of “Tenderness” we see the Child Christ resting his left cheek on the right cheek of the Mother of God. The icon conveys the tender communication of the Mother and Son. Since the Mother of God also symbolizes the Church of Christ, the icon shows us the fullness of love between God and man - that fullness that is possible only in the bosom of the Mother Church. Love unites the heavenly and earthly, the divine and the human in the icon: the connection is expressed by the contact of faces and the pairing of halos. The Mother of God thought, hugging her Son to Her: She, foreseeing the way of the cross, knows what suffering awaits Him. Of the icons of this type in Russia, the one that enjoys the greatest veneration is Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. It is probably no coincidence that this particular icon became one of the greatest Russian shrines. There are many reasons for this: ancient origin, inspired by the name of the Evangelist Luke; and the events associated with its transfer from Kyiv to Vladimir, and then to Moscow; and repeated participation in saving Moscow from the terrible raids of the Tatars... However, the very type of image of the Mother of God “Tenderness” apparently found a special response in the hearts of the Russian people, the idea of sacrificial service to one’s people was close and understandable to the Russian people, and the high sorrow of the Mother of God bringing her Son into a world of cruelty and suffering, Her pain was in tune with the feelings of all Russians.

4. “All-Merciful” (“Panahranta”)

Icons of this type have one common feature: the Mother of God is depicted sitting on a throne. On her lap she holds the Christ Child. The throne symbolizes the royal glory of the Mother of God, the most perfect of all people born on earth. Of the icons of this type in Russia, the most famous are “Sovereign” and “The Tsaritsa”.

5. “Intercessor” (“Agiosortissa”)

On icons of this type, the Mother of God is depicted in full height, without the Child, facing to the right, sometimes with a scroll in her hand. In Orthodox churches, this image is located in a prominent place - to the left of the “Savior in Power” icon, the main image in the iconostasis.

– What do the stars on the robe of the Mother of God mean?

– The stars on the forehead and on the shoulders (on the shoulders) of the Mother of God mean Her purity: the Virgin before Christmas, the Virgin at Christmas and the Virgin after Christmas.

– Father, please explain, if the Most Holy Theotokos remained a Virgin even after the Nativity, and the Holy Scriptures speak about the brothers of Christ, who are we talking about?

– We are talking about the children of the righteous Joseph, who are called the brothers and sisters of Christ. The mother of the sons of Zebedee was one of the daughters of the rights. Joseph. According to the tradition of those times, second cousins could also be called this way.

– Why are there so many icons of the Most Holy Theotokos?

– There becomes a lot of that which is worthy of worship and veneration, that which is dear is multiplied by God. It is worthy to honor the Mother of God in such a way that every miracle that happens is captured in an iconographic image. Icons of the Mother of God often appear miraculously, such as the Tikhvin Icon.

– How to treat modern icons, for example, the icon “Resurrecting Rus'”?

– The icon as such is an integral part of the life of the Church, which is “the pillar and foundation of the truth.” Therefore, every icon, both old and new, must be a reflection of the truth and, therefore, meet certain requirements: 1) have a known source of origin according to the tradition of the Church: a sample or “version”, a historical event, sometimes the blessing of an authoritative clergyman; 2) have theological content; 3) be accepted by the fullness of the Church; 4) if the icon is new and reflects a new phenomenon in church life, then a bishop’s blessing is necessary to paint it. The creation of new icons is an extremely rare phenomenon; usually only the name is new, and the origin comes from an more ancient image (for example, the image of the Icon of the Mother of God of Kazan comes from the more ancient image of Hodegetria). The so-called icon “Resurrection of Rus'” is obviously completely new both in its plot and in the time of its appearance. There is no church tradition behind it, it has no prototype, there is no deep theological meaning, it was invented by someone unknown and is not accepted by the Church. The distribution of this icon is carried out by people whose goals, apparently, are very far from preserving the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church. I strongly recommend that you refrain from venerating this icon.

– Father Dimitri, the Assumption Fast begins. Why was it installed?

– Saint Simeon of Thessalonica writes that “fasting in August was established in honor of the Mother of God’s Word, who, having learned of Her repose, as always labored and fasted for us, although, being holy and immaculate, she had no need for fasting; So She especially prayed for us when she intended to move from this life to the future and when Her blessed soul had to unite with Her son through the Divine Spirit. And therefore we must fast and sing Her praises, imitating Her life and thereby awakening Her to prayer for us. Some, however, say that this fast was established on the occasion of two holidays, that is, the Transfiguration and the Assumption. And I also consider it necessary to remember both of these two holidays, one as giving us sanctification, and the other as propitiation and intercession for us.” I would also like to say so that the Orthodox do not lose heart: I read that in fact the Assumption Fast was a continuation of the Apostolic Fast - it began from the second week after Pentecost and ended on the Assumption. And then, due to human weakness, it was broken into two parts. I wish everyone to go through this short post to save their souls!

Have you read the article Everything about the Dormition Fast in 2020. You can learn about nutrition during the Dormition Fast from this article.

The Assumption Fast starts on August 14. It will last two weeks until August 28. This fast is as strict as Lent before Easter. We tell you how to eat for two weeks and what not to eat during the Dormition Fast.

During the Dormition Fast, the new harvest is traditionally blessed. We are talking about honey, apples, ears of bread and nuts.

Story

To understand the meaning of this important day, it is necessary to remember that “dormition” in translation is called “sleep”. Hence the meaning of the holiday is that after the “Resurrection of Jesus” there is no longer any fear of leaving for a “other” life. Plunging into history, it can be noted that after the resurrection of Christ, His mother went around all the places where he visited. When the Archangel informed her that in 3 days her “earthly” life would end, she began to prepare for this.

At the appointed hour, Mary gave up her soul and “fell asleep.” During fasting, all believers strive to become better, give up pleasures and abstain from food. This helps to cleanse the spiritual world of humanity and restore calm and peace to their souls and homes. Today the holiday is one of the most beloved and revered holidays in Russia.

What can you eat during the Dormition Fast 2019?

Vegetables, mushrooms, cereals, herbs, bread, crackers, berries, honey, dried fruits, nuts, fruits.

What not to eat during Dormition Lent

Prohibited foods include meat, fish, eggs, animal fats, alcohol, and dairy products.

When can you eat fish during the Assumption Fast?

On August 19, the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, it is allowed to include fish, vegetable oil and wine in the menu. From this day on, you can also eat grapes and apples from the new harvest, which is why this holiday is popularly called Apple Savior.

And on August 28, the Autumn Meat-Eating begins. On Wednesdays and Fridays, believers are prescribed dry eating: they can eat bread, raw vegetables and fruits. On the remaining days of the week, fast food is allowed.

Do not forget that fasting is not just a period of abstinence from food, but first of all a time of spiritual cleansing and struggle with passions. Diligent prayers help create a special emotional mood these days.

There is a pious custom to read the Akathist to the Dormition every day at this time or to perform the prayer singing of the Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos “I have passed through water as if I were dry land...”.

Although weddings take place in the fall, marriages are not celebrated during the Dormition Lent. Believers abstain from entertainment and try to do good deeds: helping neighbors, sick people, giving alms, etc.

Schedule of the Assumption Fast, meals by day:

Hot food without oil - boiled vegetable food without oil is allowed: soups, cereals, boiled and baked potatoes, stewed and baked vegetables, mushrooms.

Dry eating - uncooked plant foods are eaten: raw fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, sprouted grains, nuts, honey, bread.

Along with hot food, eating fish and seafood is allowed, and a little wine is also allowed.

Dry eating - uncooked plant foods are eaten: raw fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, sprouted grains, nuts, honey, bread.

Hot food without oil - boiled vegetable food without oil is allowed: soups, cereals, boiled and baked potatoes, stewed and baked vegetables, mushrooms.

Dry eating - uncooked plant foods are eaten: raw fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, sprouted grains, nuts, honey, bread.

Hot food with oil - you can eat boiled plant foods, including those with the addition of oil: soups, cereals, potatoes (fried, boiled, baked), stewed and baked vegetables, mushrooms, bread. A little wine is allowed.

Hot food with oil - you can eat boiled plant foods, including those with the addition of oil: soups, cereals, potatoes (fried, boiled, baked), stewed and baked vegetables, mushrooms, bread.

Dry eating - uncooked plant foods are eaten: raw fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, sprouted grains, nuts, honey, bread.