What can you eat during Holy Week fasting? What can you eat during the Holy Week before Easter?

All days of Holy Week are special and are called Great or Passionate, and Old Testament stories are closely intertwined with what happens in the last days of the earthly life of Jesus Christ.

During Holy Week, Orthodox churches hold special services that are considered the most majestic and solemn of the entire church year.

During Holy Week they do not remember the dead, they do not celebrate the days of saints - at this time all rituals are dedicated to preparing for Easter or the Bright Resurrection of Christ.

I asked what the days of Holy Week are dedicated to and what can and cannot be eaten by day.

Holy week by day

Holy Monday - at church services on this day they remember the Old Testament Patriarch Joseph, whom his brothers sold into slavery, as well as the curse of the sinful fig tree by Jesus Christ, which brings neither faith, nor prayers, nor true repentance.

The rite of making peace also begins on Monday - it is made from a mixture of fragrant resins, vegetable oils and fragrant herbs and cook it while reading prayers continuously for three days.

On Holy Tuesday, churches remember the sermons of Jesus Christ about how the Savior spoke in the Jerusalem Temple, about the parables told to the disciples, about the talents and ten virgins, the resurrection of the dead and the Last Judgment.

On Great Wednesday, they remember the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed the Teacher for thirty pieces of silver, as well as the sinner who washed the Savior’s feet and anointed them with myrrh. On Wednesday people try to go to confession.

In Passion, or Maundy Thursday Orthodox Church remembers the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with His disciples and His establishment of the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Holy Communion). On Thursday the congregation receives communion.

Red or Good Friday is a day of mourning; during the service they remember the suffering of the Savior on the cross. The shroud, an image of Christ lying in the tomb, is taken out of the altar, and the believers bow before it.

IN Holy Saturday at the solemn service they talk about the burial of Jesus Christ and his stay in the tomb. At the same time, priests already on this day put on light festive vestments. Easter cakes, colored eggs and Easter eggs brought to the temple by people are illuminated.

In Jerusalem at the Church of the Resurrection of Christ on Saturday holy fire, and the most important service begins in the evening - believers celebrate Easter.

What you can and cannot eat by day

All restrictions of Lent also apply to Holy Week, but the last week is the strictest. During the entire week, some believers, if desired, take only water and bread.

In Holy Week, according to the monastic charter, dry eating is allowed on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, that is, bread, water, fruits, and vegetables are allowed.

These days you can eat lean bread and thermally unprocessed food. That is raw vegetables and fruits, as well as dried fruits, nuts, honey. It is not recommended to take tea and compote these days.

These days you can prepare salads from vegetables and fruits. For example, cut any fruit - pears, oranges, apples, bananas, add chopped dried fruits, raisins and nuts, and season everything with liquid honey. It will turn out tasty and very healthy.

According to church canons, on the last Friday before Easter there is no food until the evening service.

Holy Saturday is the last day before the Holy Resurrection of Christ, when the Lord Himself was in the Tomb, believers observe strict fasting.

In 2019, the last Saturday before Easter falls on April 27. Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter on April 28 in 2019.

Seriously ill people, pregnant women, military personnel, workers involved in heavy physical labor, travelers, nursing mothers, and children under seven years of age are exempt from fasting.

The material was prepared based on open sources

Secrets of Lent: a glass of water before breakfast and pasta for dinner

Today began the strictest week of Lent - Holy Week. During these days before Easter, believers are strictly forbidden to eat meat, eggs, milk and milk-based products, fish and alcohol.

Meanwhile, strictness also has its own nuances. How should you eat during the last week of fasting? What foods are best to combine with meals these days? And also how to break fast without causing harm to your health? - on the eve of Easter, a MK correspondent found out.

Pasta in tomato sauce

Holy Week is the last week before Easter - it began on April 14 and ends on April 20 - the Resurrection of Christ. This is the last, most strict (or “severe”) week of Lent - it begins on Holy Monday. It should be noted that the last Holy Week differs in strictness in food. During Holy Week, the Church prescribes strict fasting, excluding meat, dairy, eggs and fish foods. The monks, of course, keep a strict fast, sitting, as a rule, on these days only on bread and water. The laity is allowed to slightly diversify the range of products.

We must remember that fasting is not a diet. First of all, a person limits himself in pleasures, pays attention to his spirituality, - says Kirill Zebrin, a member of the National Guild of Chefs. - And food restriction is only part of fasting.

The most important thing, according to the chef, is not to overeat during fasting (even if you only eat food). plant origin). At the same time, you need to eat slowly, chewing your food for a long time.

Kirill advises eating during fasting different products.

In the morning before breakfast, you need to drink a glass of water with a few drops of lemon so that the intestines begin to work. You can cook it for breakfast oatmeal on water with nuts and dried fruits. And wash it down green tea with honey, he explains.

For lunch or dinner, the chef suggests preparing a fairly simple, but... tasty dish: pour dry pasta into a deep frying pan, add ice cream or fresh vegetables and dry greens. Pour the resulting mixture tomato juice and water (just to cover). Then add a little olive oil, bay leaf, salt and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. By the way, pasta can be replaced with cereals, for example, buckwheat, and instead of olive oil, pour ordinary vegetable oil. It should also turn out very tasty.

Three eggs is the norm

Meanwhile, according to nutritionists, you need to break fast very carefully. The body requires a certain adaptation period.

During fasting, we refuse food of animal origin, replacing it with plant foods, says nutritionist Elena Zlatinskaya. - And animal food requires the body to secrete special digestive enzymes which help digest it. During fasting, practically no such enzymes are released. Therefore, when a person suddenly starts eating meat, smoked meats or some other fatty foods, and even in large quantities, the body may experience stress. And as a result - indigestion. Can appear sharp pains in the stomach, constipation and even develop acute pancreatitis.

The first week after fasting, you can start with lighter animal products: boiled or steamed fish and chicken, cottage cheese, vegetables, vegetable soups, cereals. And also do not abuse alcohol, explains Elena Zlatinskaya. - It’s also better not to drink milk at first, but replace it fermented milk products- for example, kefir and yogurt.

According to the expert, milk contains a lot of so-called milk sugar, which is quite difficult to digest in the adult body. And some people do not digest milk at all. Therefore, you should take care of your stomach.

It is also very important to eat properly when breaking fast. According to the nutritionist, you need to eat fractionally - 5-6 times a day in small portions. And of course, the last meal should be no later than 2 hours before bedtime.

In general, as it turns out, eggs are quite heavy product.

The norm for eating eggs for an adult is three pieces a week, says Zlatinskaya. Why?

It turns out that the yolk itself is very fatty product, it contains a lot of cholesterol. Egg white digested faster, but, you see, none of us will specifically separate the proteins from the yolks.

Of all the forms of cooking eggs, the best, according to the expert, is digested omelet. Worse are hard-boiled eggs and simply fried in a frying pan. But the most problematic thing is absorbed in the body (who would have thought!) A raw egg.

IN raw eggs contains the substance ovidin, which greatly complicates the process of digestion, - the specialist explains. - When preparing the product, this substance is neutralized.

In general, nutritionists even advise making up the entire Easter week diet - it will help the body gradually adapt to the digestion process in new conditions with a full range of products.

The sixth week of Lent, which comes before the most important holiday in Christianity, Easter, is called Passionate. At this time we remember last days the earthly life of Jesus Christ, his suffering, crucifixion, death and subsequent resurrection. Holy Week this year lasts from April 2 to April 7. During these seven days, you need to especially fast.

Holy Week in 2018, how to eat: what the days of Holy Week mean

In 2018, Easter is celebrated on April 8, so Holy Week will precede this date. On April 1, believers will celebrate the Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, or Palm Sunday, and from Monday, April 2, until Holy Saturday, April 7 (which this year, by the way, coincides with another important Christian holiday, Annunciation), and Holy Week will last.

Every day during Holy Week is called Great. Special services are held in churches, which are considered the most majestic and solemn in the entire church year. Moreover, during these seven days the days of saints are not celebrated, the dead are not commemorated, weddings and baptisms are not held - all rituals at this time are dedicated to preparing for the Resurrection of Christ and Easter.

The week is popularly called Clean Week. Believers strive to cleanse themselves of dirt and restore order in their thoughts and in their home. As the church teaches, if you continue to sin, then through your actions people again crucify Christ and alienate the Kingdom of God from themselves.

Holy Week 2018: how to eat: meals by day

It is important to remember that fasting, which is the strictest during Holy Week, is not a diet. First of all we're talking about about internal repentance for sins, bad deeds and thoughts. Dietary restrictions are intended only to help believers on the eve of Easter to focus not on the physical, but on the spiritual, and do not serve as an end in themselves. Believers try to pay attention to prayer, rather than entertainment and vanity, and to help their neighbors more. In this case, the extent of your fast should be agreed upon with the priest, and sometimes with the doctor. So, there are categories of people whom the Church allows not to fast: these are sick people, very elderly people, children under seven years of age.

During Lent, foods that contain meat, fish, poultry, and eggs are strictly prohibited. You should not consume dairy products, as well as chocolate, pasta, White bread, pickles, spices and alcohol.
As for the actual nutritional rules, they also depend on the specific day of Holy Week.

Holy Monday. On Monday you can eat raw vegetables and fruits, as well as bread, honey and nuts. It is recommended to eat once a day - in the evening.

Holy Tuesday. Just like the previous day, raw fruits and vegetables, honey, nuts and bread are allowed. It is advisable to eat only in the evening.

Passion Wednesday. You can also eat bread, vegetables and fruits, cold raw food no oil.

Pure Thursday. On this day, you are allowed to eat hot vegetable food with vegetable oil twice a day.

Good Friday. IN good friday generally abstain from eating.

Holy Saturday. On Saturday you can have one hot meal a day. plant food, but without oil.

Easter Sunday. And on Sunday, April 8, Easter, all restrictions on food intake are lifted.

What Holy Week is and what you can eat by day is described in more detail in the Typikon, an Orthodox liturgical source. In no case should alcohol be consumed on Holy Week, any entertainment events are prohibited. A strict veto is also placed on food of animal origin, such as eggs, milk, meat, vegetable oil and salt.
It is also undesirable to eat chocolate. Baking can only be eaten that is prepared without the use of vegetable oil.
The Typicon does not impose a strict limit on the amount of food consumed on all days except Friday and Saturday, but believers are encouraged to adhere to self-restraint, and get up from the table a little hungry. In this case, it is advisable to eat once a day after 19-00 pm.
A strict diet during the week leading up to Easter should be observed by believing Christians. However, children, sick people, pregnant women and nursing mothers are exempt from strict fasting.

Traditional spring Orthodox holiday For most believers it is Easter. The date of this holiday changes from year to year. In the 21st century, the earliest Easter was April 4, and the latest was May 5.
Holy Week is the last week of Lent before Easter. It is during this period that particularly strict restrictions on the diet are imposed. On Holy Week, it is also forbidden to marry, baptize children, and commemorate deceased relatives. These days should be spent in prayer, taking special care of your spiritual and physical purity.
In 2017, Holy Week lasts from Monday, April 10 to Saturday, April 15. Holy Week ends on Sunday, the holiday of Great Easter.

Diet by day of the week
On the 43rd day of Great Lent, in Clean Monday It is recommended to adhere to dry eating. On this day you can eat raw, boiled, pickled vegetables and bread. All food should be prepared without vegetable oil. You can also eat nuts, berries, dried fruits. Sati is allowed, which is natural honey dissolved in a glass of water.
IN Maundy Tuesday, 44th day of Lent you should also adhere to dry eating. However, according to the Typicon, boiled porridge and dried fruit compote are also allowed on this day instead of full.
Great Wednesday, the 45th day of Lent also dictates its own traditions. On this day you can eat only boiled and fresh vegetables, bread, light soups prepared without vegetable oil and meat, and also drink well.
46th day of Lent – Maundy Thursday. On this day, a slight relaxation is given for laity and believers. On Thursday you can cook food using vegetable oil. Hot soups and salads are allowed vegetable oil. All kinds of porridges and dried fruit compotes are excluded from the strict taboo.

The slight relaxation in food given on Thursday is replaced by complete refusal from food to Good Friday , also called Passionate. On this day, according to Christian canons, you should completely give up food. For old people and people suffering from certain ailments, the Typikon gives a little relief. These Christians can eat about 200 grams of bread with water. Lay people who cannot completely give up eating food are advised to adhere to dry eating.
IN Holy Saturday laity should also adhere to dry eating. But devout people and monks are still allowed to eat only a few pieces of bread and water or refuse to eat at all.
The stricter diet that true believers and monks must follow is: in the following way: on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday - full fast, only in the evening you can drink a glass warm water. On Wednesday and Thursday you can drink a full glass, eat a few spoons of raisins and about 200 grams of bread.

The strict fast, which lasted 48 days, ends on Sunday. This day of the week marks the end of Lent. On Easter, all prohibitions on modest foods of animal origin are lifted. On Great Sunday of Christ, the fast is broken; you can eat eggs, colored in advance, as well as Easter cakes. The fast is over, and now you can eat meat, fish, dairy products, cheeses, and butter again.
The term Holy Week, what you can eat every day during this period of time - all these nuances were consecrated in the above article. To summarize, it should be said that Holy Week is the most difficult period Lent, during which the most restrictions are imposed.
However, before deciding whether to completely refuse food or not, you should pay attention to the state of your health. After all, even church literature recommends adhering to strict fasting only healthy people. Older people, as well as those who suffer from this or that illness, are allowed to fast less strictly.