When the Christmas Fast begins and how it should be conducted by a pious Christian Bashny.Net

The traditional beginning of the Christmas fast for Orthodox Christians was on November 28. It lasted until January 6. For adherents of the old Julian calendar, these dates are still relevant today. But with the transition to the updated Julian chronology, most significant dates shifted. This year, supporters of the improved calendar will celebrate the Christmas of Jesus Christ on December 25. They began fasting on November 15 and will end their eating restrictions on December 24.



Editorial "Site" It tells you how to prepare for the post and follow it. Important traditions and prohibitions.

To make it easier for fasters to resist the temptation to eat fast food, there is a pencil. It falls on the last day before the fast. In the pen, believers are advised to enjoy plenty of meat and other fatty delicacies, because the beginning of the Christmas fast means refusing to eat meat, eggs and dairy products. Strict abstinence from dishes containing ingredients of animal origin lasts forty days.



The duration of the Christmas fast is almost not inferior to the Great, but is not so severe, judging by the prohibitions. Throughout it, on certain days you can eat fish and seafood, cook food in vegetable oil, and on holidays and weekends it is allowed to eat a glass of wine. The bans are strictly enforced only in the last week.



During fasting, Christians prepare for a bright and joyful church holiday - the Nativity of the Son of God. Believers strive to purify their mortal body and sinful soul as much as possible. During this period, you should worry not so much about the “unloading” days for the body, as about the spiritual purification of a person. Therefore, simultaneously with fasting, parishioners are required to refrain from entertainment and not indulge in carnal pleasures. It is also necessary to stop gossip, discuss others, swear and swear. It is necessary to show patience and generosity to all around.



Before Christmas, parishioners clean up the house and housework. They throw away old junk, repair non-working appliances, and revise their wardrobe. For the holiday, Christians restore thin clothes and buy new outfits, if funds allow. They take things out of the closet that are small or no one wears and put them aside. These clothes can be given to an orphanage or orphanage, and there it is sure to be useful to someone.

Christian fasting does not apply to domestic animals, they should be taken care of daily and well fed. All work in the yard is advised to finish in the dark, and in the evening find a couple of minutes for prayer with a lit candle. During the fast, you can not forget about family and relatives, these days you can receive guests and meet friends.



The period of fasting is a favorable time for communion with the Lord. If you cannot fast, you can recite prayers regularly. In this way, you will be able to reach the appropriate state of mind. In addition, it is recommended to prove yourself in good deeds, help to those in need and charity.



It is important to know that there are categories of people who are allowed not to hold fast. Moreover, they should not limit themselves in food. These include children, pregnant and lactating women, sick people and the elderly, as well as Christians who find themselves in difficult conditions for survival. Observe the rules of fasting can be an adult Christian without health problems. Everyone has the right to decide for themselves whether to fast or not.