A Beginner's Guide to Orthodox Fasting

Fasting is one of the most distinctive practices of Orthodox Christianity — and one of the most misunderstood. It is not a diet. It is not punishment. It is a spiritual discipline that, rightly practised, brings freedom, clarity, and closeness to God.

## What Orthodox Fasting Looks Like

Orthodox fasting primarily means **abstaining from animal products**: meat, dairy, eggs, and (on stricter days) fish, oil, and wine. On the strictest fast days, only plant-based foods without oil are eaten.

The Church's fasting calendar includes: - **Great Lent** (40 days before Pascha, plus Holy Week) - **Apostles' Fast** (variable length, after Pentecost) - **Dormition Fast** (August 1–14) - **Nativity Fast** (November 15 – December 24) - **Most Wednesdays and Fridays** throughout the year

In total, fasting days account for nearly half the calendar year.

## The Purpose of Fasting

Fasting is not about food — it is about reordering our relationship with our desires. When we fast from food, we learn that we are not slaves to our appetites. This self-discipline spills over into every area of life.

The Fathers teach that fasting without prayer is mere hunger, and fasting without charity is mere vanity. The three always go together: fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.

## How to Begin

If you are new to fasting, **do not try to follow the full rule immediately.** The full fasting discipline is demanding, and it is meant to be embraced gradually, under the guidance of a priest or spiritual father.

Some gentle starting points: 1. **Fast from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays.** This is the most basic level and a good place to begin. 2. **During Great Lent, try a vegan diet** (no meat, dairy, or eggs) for the first and last weeks, eating normally in between. 3. **Fast before receiving Communion** — at minimum, skip breakfast on Sunday morning (the 'eucharistic fast'). 4. **Pay attention to what you fast from besides food** — gossip, screens, anger. These matter more than what you eat.

## Common Questions

**Is fasting required?** The canons of the Church call all Orthodox Christians to fast. However, the application is pastoral — your priest can adjust the rule for health, age, pregnancy, or other circumstances.

**What about children?** Children can be introduced to fasting gently — perhaps giving up sweets during Lent, or fasting from meat on Fridays.

**Isn't this legalistic?** It can become so, which is why the Church constantly reminds us that the purpose is love, not law. If your fasting makes you proud or irritable, you're doing it wrong.

**I have health issues — can I still fast?** Always consult your priest and your doctor. Fasting is never meant to harm health. Many priests will bless a modified fast for those with medical needs.

## The Spirit of Fasting

St John Chrysostom summarises the spirit of Orthodox fasting beautifully:

> 'Do you fast? Give me proof of it by your works. If you see the poor, take pity on them. If you see enemies, be reconciled with them. If you see a friend gaining honour, do not be jealous. If you see a beautiful woman, pass her by. Let not the mouth alone fast, but also the eye and the ear and the feet and the hands and all the members of our bodies.'

Fasting is not about perfection — it is about direction. We fall and get up. We fail and try again. The discipline of fasting, embraced with humility and joy, is one of the great gifts of the Orthodox tradition.