Christmas fasting

The Lent of Christmas

Why do we fast before Christmas? What is Christmas Lent? Why do we fast and what do we fast? When does the Christmas fast begin and how many days does it last? What is the difference between the fast of Christmas and the fast of Easter, that is, of Lent?

The Christmas fast has a joyful purpose. Yes, fasting again helps us to fight our passions, but because of the joyful event that is the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is, the Birth of our Saviour, we fast so that we can better integrate into this new chapter of life. us. And this is the chapter of our salvation born of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. To honour this so important event for our life which is the salvation of our soul, but also to cut off our passions, we fast before the feast of the Nativity of Christ and because this event is joyful this fast is not so very strict.

Fasting in general, is a help for man, to be able to get rid of passions. During fasting the person is generally weak. The impulses, the desires, the nerves, the anger, the thoughts, the energy of man are weakened and thus it is more difficult for man to sin. During the Christmas fast we eat olive oil every day, except Wednesday and Friday or if on Wednesday or Friday we have a feast of a great saint of our Church. Also during this period, we eat fish and seafood in general, while we do not eat meat, dairy and eggs. The Christmas fast begins on November 15 until December 24, the day before Christmas.

Source: ekklisiaonline.gr