Fasting Periods

The Orthodox liturgical year includes four major fasting periods, weekly fast days (Wednesday and Friday), and several single-day fasts, as well as designated fast-free periods. Together, the fasting days make up roughly half the calendar year – a fact that surprises many newcomers but reflects the Church’s understanding of the Christian life as one of continuous ascetic effort and spiritual vigilance.

Tradition: Pan-Orthodox (with Russian Orthodox and ROCOR-specific notes)

The Four Major Fasting Periods

1. Great Lent and Holy Week (Velikiy Post)

Duration: 48 days (40 days of Lent + Lazarus Saturday/Palm Sunday + Holy Week)
Dates: From Clean Monday to Great Saturday (moveable, depending on the date of Pascha)

The most important and strictest fasting period. See Great Lent for full details on the structure, preparatory Sundays, special services, Holy Week, and Pascha.

Fasting strictness: The first week and Holy Week are the strictest periods of the entire year. Xerophagy (dry eating) is prescribed for most of the first week. Weekdays of the remaining weeks call for food without oil (in the strict Typikon rule), with oil and wine permitted on Saturdays and Sundays. Fish is allowed only on the Annunciation (March 25 OS / April 7 NS, if it falls during Lent before Holy Week) and Palm Sunday. Fish roe is allowed on Lazarus Saturday. See Fasting Rules for the full schema.

2. Apostles’ Fast / Peter and Paul Fast (Petrov Post)

Duration: Variable (from 8 days to 6 weeks)
Dates: From the Monday after All Saints Sunday (the first Sunday after Pentecost) to June 28 OS / July 11 NS (the eve of the feast of Ss. Peter and Paul, June 29 OS / July 12 NS)

The Apostles’ Fast is unique among the four fasts in having a variable length, because its start date depends on the moveable date of Pentecost while its end date is fixed:

If Pascha is early (e.g., March 22 OS), Pentecost and All Saints are early, and the Apostles’ Fast can be as long as six weeks.
If Pascha is late (e.g., April 25 OS), the fast can be as short as eight days (one week plus one day).

Fasting strictness: Less strict than Great Lent. The general Typikon rule:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Fast without oil (strict); in widespread practice, oil is permitted, and Wednesday/Friday are kept as fish-free.
Tuesday, Thursday: Oil and wine permitted; some traditions also permit fish.
Saturday, Sunday: Fish, oil, and wine permitted.

In common parish practice, particularly outside monasteries, fish is often permitted on all days except Wednesday and Friday, making this the most lenient of the four fasts.

Theological significance: Preparation for the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The apostles fasted and prayed before going out to preach (Acts 13:2-3). The faithful imitate their example.

ROCOR note: Some ROCOR parishes maintain a stricter observance of this fast than is typical in other jurisdictions. However, the variable length of the fast means that pastoral economy is frequently applied, especially in years when the fast is long.

3. Dormition Fast (Uspenskiy Post)

Duration: 14 days (two weeks)
Dates: August 1-14 (OS) / August 14-27 (NS)

The Dormition Fast prepares for the feast of the Dormition (Falling Asleep) of the Theotokos (August 15 OS / August 28 NS). Despite its short duration, it is the second-strictest fast of the year, comparable to Great Lent in its dietary requirements.

Fasting strictness:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Xerophagy or food without oil.
Tuesday, Thursday: Food with oil permitted.
Saturday, Sunday: Wine and oil permitted; fish is not permitted (except on the Transfiguration – see below).
The Transfiguration of the Lord (August 6 OS / August 19 NS) falls during this fast. Fish, wine, and oil are permitted on this day regardless of what day of the week it falls on.

Theological significance: Devotion to the Theotokos. The faithful fast in preparation for the great feast of her Dormition, imitating her own life of prayer and fasting. The Dormition Fast is often compared to Great Lent in miniature.

First day (August 1 OS / August 14 NS): The Procession of the Cross (Proiskhozhdeniye Chestnykh Drev Zhivotvoryashchego Kresta, “Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-Creating Cross”) and the beginning of the Dormition Fast. Also commemorated on this day: the Seven Holy Maccabee Martyrs. In Russian folk tradition, this is “First Savior” (Pervyy Spas) or the “Honey Feast Day” (Medovyy Spas), when honey is blessed. The second Spas is the Transfiguration (August 6/19, the “Apple Feast Day”), and the third is the feast of the Image Not Made by Hands (August 16/29).

4. Nativity Fast / Advent (Rozhdestvenskiy Post / Filippov Post)

Duration: 40 days
Dates: November 15 - December 24 (OS) / November 28 - January 6 (NS)

The Nativity Fast prepares for the feast of the Nativity of Christ (Christmas, December 25 OS / January 7 NS). It is also called the “Philip’s Fast” (Filippov Post) because it begins on the day after the feast of the Apostle Philip (November 14 OS / November 27 NS).

Fasting strictness: Less strict than Great Lent and the Dormition Fast, more strict than the Apostles’ Fast. The Typikon divides it into periods:

November 15 - December 19 (OS): The rule is similar to the Apostles’ Fast. Fish is permitted on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are kept without fish (oil and wine may or may not be permitted, depending on the tradition and whether a feast falls on that day).
December 20-24 (OS) (the last five days, the Forefeast of the Nativity): Stricter fasting. Fish is not permitted. Oil and wine are permitted only on Saturday and Sunday. This intensification parallels the relationship between the first weeks and Holy Week in Great Lent.
December 24 (OS) / January 6 (NS) (the Eve of the Nativity, Sochelnik): Strict fast until the first star appears in the evening (or, in practice, until after the Vespers/Liturgy). The traditional meal on Christmas Eve consists of sochivo or kutia (boiled wheat with honey and dried fruits), from which the word sochelnik derives.

ROCOR note: ROCOR parishes typically follow the full Typikon strictness for the Nativity Fast. In the Moscow Patriarchate, the rules printed in the official church calendars are somewhat milder than the strict monastic Typikon (notably in permitting fish more broadly in the first part of the fast), and the personal measure of fasting is in practice set with one’s priest or spiritual father – the same principle of pastoral discretion codified in the 2015 document On the Participation of the Faithful in the Eucharist.

Pastoral challenge: The Nativity Fast coincides with the Western Christmas season (for Julian Calendar churches, it also extends through the Western New Year). This creates significant social pressure for ROCOR and Moscow Patriarchate faithful, who are fasting during the time when secular society (and New Calendar Orthodox and Western Christians) are celebrating. The fast requires particular resolve in mixed families and social settings.

Weekly Fast Days

Wednesday and Friday

Throughout the year (except during fast-free periods), Wednesday and Friday are fast days:

Wednesday: Commemorates the betrayal of Christ by Judas.
Friday: Commemorates the Crucifixion and death of Christ.

The standard rule for Wednesday and Friday fasting: abstinence from meat, dairy, and eggs. The question of whether fish, oil, and wine are permitted on ordinary Wednesdays and Fridays varies:

The strict Typikon rule: No fish, oil, or wine on most Wednesdays and Fridays (essentially, the same as a Lenten weekday).
Common parish practice: Many parishes permit fish on Wednesday and Friday outside of the four fasting periods. Oil and wine are widely considered acceptable.
ROCOR practice: Generally tends toward the stricter interpretation, though pastoral economy is applied individually.

When a Great Feast falls on a Wednesday or Friday, the fast is relaxed:

Fish, wine, and oil are permitted (at minimum).
On some feasts (Nativity, Theophany), the fast is entirely abrogated.

Single-Day Fasts

Three specific days outside the major fasting periods are designated as strict fast days (no meat, dairy, fish, oil, or wine):

The Eve of Theophany (January 5 OS / January 18 NS): Strict fast. Connected to the Great Blessing of Water.
The Beheading of St. John the Baptist (August 29 OS / September 11 NS): Strict fast, in honor of the martyrdom of the Forerunner. The Typikon prescribes abstinence from oil and wine as well. In Russian and other Slavic folk custom, round foods (symbolizing the head) or foods requiring a knife are sometimes avoided on this day; these customs vary by region and are popular piety rather than canonical prescription (cf. Bulgakov, Nastolnaya Kniga, under August 29).
The Exaltation of the Cross (September 14 OS / September 27 NS): Fast day, despite being a Great Feast, in honor of Christ’s suffering on the Cross. In recognition of the festal character, the Typikon permits wine and oil, but not fish, meat, or dairy (Hieromonk Seraphim Rose, “The Rule of Fasting in the Orthodox Church”; OCA liturgics, “Fasting & Fast-Free Seasons of the Church”).

Fast-Free Periods (Sploshnye Sedmitsy)

Certain weeks are designated as fast-free – no fasting even on Wednesday and Friday:

Bright Week (Svetlaya Sedmitsa): The week after Pascha. Complete fast-free period. The Royal Doors remain open. Joy is unrestrained.
The Week of the Holy Spirit (Troitskaya Sedmitsa): The week after Pentecost (Trinity Sunday). Fast-free. The Apostles’ Fast begins the following Monday.
Svyatki (the Twelve Days of Christmas): December 25 - January 4 (OS) / January 7 - January 17 (NS). The period between Nativity and the Eve of Theophany. Fast-free (except for the Eve of Theophany itself, which is a strict fast day). In Russian popular culture, Svyatki has historically been associated with caroling, visiting, and folk customs (some of which have pre-Christian origins and were discouraged by the Church).
The Week of the Publican and Pharisee: The week after the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee (about three weeks before Great Lent). Entirely fast-free, as a corrective against Pharisaic pride in fasting. See Great Lent.
Cheesefare Week (Syrnaya Sedmitsa / Maslenitsa): The week before Great Lent. Meat is forbidden, but dairy products, eggs, and fish are permitted every day, including Wednesday and Friday. This is a transitional week, gradually preparing the body for the full Lenten fast. In Russian culture, this is Maslenitsa – a week of festivity, pancakes (bliny), and celebration before the austerity of Lent. The name “Maslenitsa” comes from maslo (butter), reflecting the use of dairy.

Summary Calendar Table

Period	Dates (OS / NS)	Duration	Strictness
Great Lent + Holy Week	Moveable	~48 days	Very strict
Apostles’ Fast	Mon. after All Saints - Jun 28 / Jul 11	8-42 days	Moderate
Dormition Fast	Aug 1-14 / Aug 14-27	14 days	Strict
Nativity Fast	Nov 15 - Dec 24 / Nov 28 - Jan 6	40 days	Moderate-strict
Wednesdays & Fridays	Year-round (except fast-free weeks)	–	Varies
Eve of Theophany	Jan 5 / Jan 18	1 day	Strict
Beheading of St. John	Aug 29 / Sep 11	1 day	Strict
Exaltation of the Cross	Sep 14 / Sep 27	1 day	Fast (wine and oil allowed)

Fast-Free Period	Dates	Notes
Bright Week	Week after Pascha	No fasting at all
Holy Spirit Week	Week after Pentecost	No fasting at all
Svyatki	Dec 25 - Jan 4 OS / Jan 7-17 NS	Except Eve of Theophany
Publican & Pharisee Week	~3 weeks before Lent	No fasting at all
Cheesefare Week	Week before Lent	No meat; dairy permitted

References

Typikon (Ustav), chapters on fasting rules and the ordering of the Church year.
Bulgakov, Sergei V. Handbook for Church Servers (Nastolnaya Kniga). 2nd ed., 1900.
Schmemann, Alexander. Great Lent: Journey to Pascha. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1969.
The Lenten Triodion. Trans. Mother Mary and Kallistos Ware. London: Faber and Faber, 1978.
The Rudder (Pedalion / Kormchaya Kniga) – canonical sources on fasting.
Rose, Hieromonk Seraphim. “The Rule of Fasting in the Orthodox Church.” In The Orthodox Word; widely reprinted (e.g., orthochristian.com).
On the Participation of the Faithful in the Eucharist. Document of the Hierarchal Consultation of the Russian Orthodox Church, Moscow, February 2-3, 2015.