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Hello, everyone!
I have been lurking about these boards for a few months now; there is an abundance of good information on here! I am Roman Catholic, but feel strongly drawn to the Eastern churches. I would consider going through a rite change in the future (hubby is in the Army, so sometimes we have to move to areas with very few Roman Catholic - let alone Byzantine Catholic - churches. As such, I don't see a rite change making sense for the time being, unfortunately.)

Anyways, I guess I have the desire to unite myself in mind, heart, and practice with Eastern Catholicism as much as possible in the meantime. Specifically, I want to observe the Byzantine fasts, but I need someone on here to tell me when they are, what they consist of, etc. Also, ...

(Moderator Note: To facilitate replies to diverse topics, Hannah's other questions - regarding prayer resources, daily office, icons, icon corners, and liturgical incense have been split off into other threads, linked in my post below)

This is a brief answer, although searching previous threads or consulting official publications from Eastern Rite/Orthodox sources may prove more useful:

Eastern rite fasting is an attempt to clear out the concerns of daily life in order to find the presence of God in our lives. The person standing next to us bears the image and likeness of God but we miss it, perhaps, because of our cheeseburger. Fasting is strictly a tool and not and end in and unto itself. Remember, the demons take no food or drink....

The practice of fasting or "not eating" is certainly broader than the Judeo-Christian tradition. Pagans and other non-Christians of all sorts from ancient times to modern also practice it, each in his own variation. Even soldiers going into battle fast from food to sharpen their senses.

There are two fasts: the pre-communion and the ascetical. The pre-communion fast, no food or drink from midnight until reception of the eucharist (exceptions/leniency for children, the sick, those on medication, pregnant or nursing moms, etc.). The pre-communion fast and frequent reception of the eucharist also presuppose that one also attempts the ascetical fasting regime:

No eating until the main meal, traditionally in the late afternoon. Drink is permitted all day, but no wine or strong drink except on celebratory days as indicated on most ecclesial calendars. Saturdays (except Holy Saturday) and Sundays are relaxed fasting days and always allow for wine and oil. In fasting periods, meat and dairy are completely prohibited. Fish, wine, and (olive) oil are permitted, often on the weekends, but each fast is different.

Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year are fasting days, except during the fast free weeks (1) before Great Lent, (2) the Bright Week after Pascha/Easter, (3) the week after Pentecost, and (4) the week after the Theophany/Epiphany.

For example: the Great Lent of 40 days plus Holy Week starts at different times in Feb or March each year and allows wine & oil on the weekends and fish, wine, and oil on Annunciation and the Entry into Jerusalem/Palm Sunday.

The Advent Fast is much more lenient. The Peter & Paul Fast is anywhere from four weeks to three days, depending on where Penetecost falls. The Dormition Fast 1-15 August is fixed.

www.goarch.org [goarch.org] is an award-winning Orthodox site (due to its design) and provides a great calendar.

Be private and realistic in your start to fasting. If the appointed time for luch at work is 1200 noon, don't bring your bowl of beans to the staff meeting at 3:00 and claim a religious exemption. Some will feel bad for you because you "can't" eat meat (of course, you "can" but choose not to for a period of time.) Others will hate you for public display of piety. Or to paraphrase Paul, if my fasting were to make my brother to fall, I'll never fast again.

The fast should not make us weaker but stronger. We shouldn't have less energy, but more! The fast does not take something away and we are not giving something up. We are gaining a treasure. In the depths of the fast, a cold glass of water can become for us like the living water of which Christ spoke to the Samaritan woman. A simple baked potato at the end of a long day will come to our lips like the paschal feast.

Many believers take count of the money that they save during fasts and donate it to the poor! Or as the old saying goes, everything that you do, you do for yourself.

May God bless you on your journey.

Hannah,

Welcome to the forum. Andrew, a valued member and contributor who has been away from here far too long, has offered an excellent explanation of the fasts and a really valuable resource in the GOA website.

You might also want to check out threads in the Food-Recipe subforum in the Town Hall; it's a pretty diverse collection - some of which are definitely not oriented toward the fasts, but many of which are. We have some excellent threads here on the subject, although finding them using our search tool can be challenging at times, frustrating at others.

A few threads -

Russian Catholic fast, which includes a link to an excellent discussion of fasting at the website of the RGC parish in San Francisco.

The Symbolism of Fasting Foods

Fasting Traditions

Dormition Fast

Purpose of Fasting

From the 2012 Pastoral Letter for Great Lent of Bishop Nicholas (Samra), Eparch of Newton of the Melkites:

Fasting According to the Ancient Discipline of the Byzantine Churches [melkite.org]

Many years,

Neil

Addendum: I'm going to take the liberty of quoting out your other queries into separate posts (I'll put links here for you), as the diversity of topics can make it unwieldy to try and answer all of them in a single thread.

Prayer Resources & Byzantine Daily Office

Icons, Icon Corners, & Liturgical incense

Hannah, you have been given a lot of information here. A lot. Allow me to simplify it for you.

First, what we call "fasting" is more easily understood as "abstaining" -- On days of fasting we abstain from foods coming from an animal with a backbone. That is, we eat no meat, no dairy, no fish, no eggs. Shellfish are allowed. We also limit the amount of food we do eat.

Second, as noted above, there are four liturgical periods of fasting: Great Lent, the Apostles Fast, the Dormition Fast, and the Nativity Fast. We also fast on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year. (Except during Feasting seasons. Are you confused yet?)

I do not recommend that you plunge in and commit yourself to immediate and strict observation of these fasts. The people I know who fully observe all these fasts (and, in truth, most people, even very faithful people, do not) took them on incrementally, as their spiritual life and understanding deepened, and usually under the guidance of a spiritual father.

When you undertake fasting as a spiritual discipline, as opposed to doing so as a legal obligation, you will find -- as Andrew pointed out -- that it makes you stronger, not weaker. With that in mind, I suggest that you start small (abstaining from meat but not dairy, for example) until you have spiritual strength to do more.

Prayers for your journey!

And adding a teeny bit to Penthaetria's post we do ease ourselves into the Great Lent Fast by cutting out meat one week before we cut dairy - it's still hard - but it does help a little .

We know what is the ideal , but most of us fast according to the instructions our Spiritual Father [ or priest ] gives us - and this can vary quite a bit according to individual circumstances [ e.g. for diabetics it may well have to be mitigated ] I'm only now returning to fully Fasting after being forbidden , because of personal circumstances , to fast for almost 3 years, and believe me it's not easy .

Take it slowly - baby steps

Wow, thanks everyone! I'm understanding the fasts a little better now. Thank you, Neil, for organizing my post. Sorry about all the different topics!

In the course of my recent Eastern explorations I have read that the Orthodox fast every Wednesday and Friday.

Questions:

1. What, exactly, is meant by "fasting" in the Orthodox Church? In the Roman Catholic Church, "fasting" means having only one large meal, accompanied by two smaller meals which, together, do not equal the portions of the large meal (which to me never really seemed like "fasting"). What is different, if anything, about the Orthodox definition of "fasting"?

2. Why fast on Wednesdays?

3. In the Roman Catholic tradition, we do not fast on Friday, rather we abstain from meat (although in America we are permitted to substitute some other form of penance if we wish). Do the Orthodox also abstain from meat on Friday?

4. Is the discipline of Wednesday and Friday fasting obligatory for Orthodox Christians under pain of sin (grave or venial)?

5. Do Eastern Rite Catholic Churches follow the same rules of fast as the Orthodox Church, or do they each observe their own discipline, or do they observe Roman Catholic discipline?

I have to say, I am intrigued to learn more about this...and not just a dry reference page that someone might provide a link to that spells it out (although that would be helpful)...but it would also be interesting to me to read the thoughts of Orthodox Christians and Eastern Rite Catholics concerning the discipline of fasting, what it means to you, what effect it has on your spirituality, whether any of it vexes you in any way, or anything you might have to say about it, really.

Quickly, from my own viewpoint, I can see the value in a discipline that extends beyond the extremely featherweight discipline of today's Roman Catholic Church. I would welcome a stricter discipline in this regard in my own life, but I would first like to hear the reflections of others on the matter.

I know you said that you don't want a list of links, but there really is no reason for us to re-invent the wheel, when there are lots of perfectly good wheels already rolling around the place.

Most of your questions were answered just two days ago in this thread.

To answer #2, we fast on Wednesdays to remember that Wednesday was the day Judas agreed to betray our Lord.

There are many other threads on the topic where people have posted their experiences and approaches.

My bad; I didn't see the thread that already exists on the subject. Please disregard.

If you want the traditional Orthodox perspective here it goes. This is a parish handout.

The Fasting Rubrics of the Orthodox Church (from the Lenten Triodion pg 35) as
practiced since at least the Council of Nicaea in 325.

These are the rules for everyone, the target. When one falls short of the
target and misses the mark ( amartia, the Greek word for sin) no matter how
well justified, it should be confessed.

Confession is not a time to name the justifications for missing the mark, nor to
list our spiritual accomplishments, but to simply acknowledge in what ways we
have fallen short. Humility tells us, no matter how hard we try, we cannot be
perfect in this. We all make the sign of the cross and do what we can do – our
efforts in synergy with God's grace.

The holy fathers knew that it was God's holy will that all Christians be of one
mind agreeing in all things. Therefore, they established a rule of fasting that
was to be a norm and standard for all. This rule guided the Christians in
their fasting while at the same time it united the faithful (community) to one
another through obedience to a commonly received discipline.

Adherence to a common rule and discipline helped the faithful to avoid the
pitfalls of going off on their own in pride. One need only use his imagination
to see what chaos would exist in our community life if the Church had not given
us the common rule. One might be fasting from everything but vegetables, while
another might make himself a rule to fast from meat alone, and yet another eat
only whole grain.

And would there not be great chaos and confusion when the faithful gathered for
a common meal (which is a necessity in order to grow a community) only to
discover that in reality they did not have a life in common.

So the fathers gave us a common rule so that we might be united one with another
in our efforts. This is that rule as published in English in the Lenten
Triodion translated by Mother Maria of the Monastery of the Veil, and Bp
Kallistos.

During the week between the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee and the Sunday
of the Prodigal Son, there is a general dispensation from all fasting. Meat and
animal products may be eaten even on Wednesday and Friday.

(1) In the following week, often termed the `Week of Carnival", the usual fast [
no animal products or olive oil ] is kept on Wednesday and Friday. Otherwise
there is no special fasting.

(2) In the Week before Lent, meat is forbidden, but eggs, cheese and other dairy
products [and even fish] may be eaten on all days, including Wednesday and
Friday.

(3) On weekdays (Monday through Friday) during the seven weeks of Lent, there
are restrictions both on the number of meals taken, and on the types of food
permitted;

(4) On weekdays of the First Week [Clean Week], fasting is particularly severe.

According to the strict observance, in the course of the five initial days of
Lent, only two meals are eaten, one on Wednesday and the other on Friday, in
both cases after the Liturgy of the Presanctified.

a) On the other three days [ Mon, Tue, Thur], those who have the strength are
encouraged to keep an absolute fast [no food]; those for whom this proves
impracticable [not capable of being carried out] may eat on Tuesday and Thursday
(but not, if at all possible, on Monday);

and in that case (of eating something) it is eaten in the evening after the hour
of Vespers (~3 pm) when it is permissible to take bread and water, or perhaps
tea or fruit juice, but not a cooked meal.

It should be added at once that in common practice these rules are commonly
relaxed (but still confessed as having fallen short).

b) At the meals (on Wednesday and Friday of the First Week) xerophagy is
prescribed.

Literally this means `dry eating'. Strictly interpreted, it signifies that we
may eat only vegetables cooked with water and salt [or grilled without oil, or
raw which is particularly healthful] and also such things as fruit, nuts,
pickles, bread and honey.

In practice, octopus and shell-fish [but not fish with backbones] may also be
pataken on days of xerophagy; likewise vegetable margarine and corn, peanut,
grapeseed or other vegetable oil, not made from olives are an economy for some.

c) But the following categories of food are definitely excluded on weekdays in
Lent:
i) Meat;
ii) Animal products (cheese, milk, butter, eggs, lard, drippings;
iii) Fish (i.e. fish with backbones);
iv) Oil (i.e. olive oil) and Wine (i.e. all alcoholic drinks)

d) On weekdays in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th weeks, one meal a day is
permitted, to be taken in the afternoon after [ the hour of ] Vespers [ ~ 3pm ],
and at this one meal, xerophagy is to be observed [ see b) above ]

e) Holy Week – On the first three days there is one meal each day, with
xerophagy; but some try to keep a complete fast on these days, or else they
eat, as on the opening days of the first week [ see a) above ]

Holy Thursday – one meal is eaten, with wine and oil (i.e. olive oil)

Great Friday – those who have the strength follow the practice of the early
church and keep an absolute fast. Those who are unable to do this may eat
bread, with a little water, fruit juice or tea, but not until sunset, or at any
rate not until the veneration of the Epitaphion at Vespers

Holy Saturday – there is in principle no meal, since according to the ancient
practice after the end of the Liturgy of Saint Basil [ the latest liturgy of the
year] the faithful remained in Church for the reading of the Acts of the
Apostles, and for their sustenance were given a little bread and dried fruit,
with a cup of wine. If, as usually happens now, they return home for a meal,
they may use wine, but not oil; for on this one Saturday, alone among the
Saturdays of the year, olive oil is not permitted.

The rule of xerophagy is relaxed on the following days:

1. Saturdays and Sundays of Lent (except Holy Sat) 2 main meals may be taken in
the usual way, around mid-day and in the evening, with wine and olive oil; but
meat, animal products and fish are not allowed

2. Feast of the Annunciation and Palm Sunday – fish is permitted as well as wine
and olive oil. No fish if Annunciation falls on 1st four days of Holy Week. No
fish or olive oil (only wine) if on Great Friday or Holy Sat

Wine and Oil are permitted on Feb 24, Mar 9, Mar 24, Mar 26, and Wed /Thur of
the 5th Week for the Great Canon

It has always been held that these rules of fasting should be relaxed in the
case of anyone elderly or in poor health, or pregnant or nursing women.

In present-day practice even those in good health fail to attain the full
strictness of the fast. [Sadly] Not many today even attempt to keep a total
fast on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of the 1st Week, or on the first three days
of Holy Week.

On weekdays – except during the First Week and Holy Week - it is now common to
eat two cooked meals instead of one for workers and students.

Many other leniencies have crept in and economy has become the de facto rule,
and even some otherwise traditional church's practices now barely resemble the
actual practice Christians have followed for nearly 2 millennia.

"St Seraphim of Sarov pointedly said, `One who does not observe the fasts is not
a Christian, no matter what he considers or call himself…'" (St Metropolitan
Philaret)

Personal factors need to be taken into account, of course, but while weakness
and inability may explain why someone did not fast, it does not overturn the
rules (which are still the target, the standard to which we attempt to
accomplish as much as is possible for us).

It is not possible to list all the exceptions that might be necessary for any
particular individual. Each of us is unique, but also each of us has a
propensity to not struggle with ourselves.

It is far better to first know what the standard is, and then confess when you
fall short, even if it the reason for an exception seems to be most obvious
(again, do not justify falling short in Confession, just confess it).

Today, someone may justify breaking the fast in order to "keep up their
strength." Tomorrow, any struggle at all might seem too much. So, do not
pamper and accommodate, and make excuses, or justify yourself. Simply be
honest with yourself and do what you can. Every time you struggle with
yourself, it gets easier and becomes more enriching.

The rules regarding fasting need to be taken seriously, but they are not to be
a legalistic strangle-hold that is applied to everyone equally. Make sincere
efforts to fulfill all that you can. It is for your own benefit.

Confess when you fall short, but, again, do not be prideful and think that you
should have been perfect. Admit your imperfection, confess, be absolved, and
again do your best.

And your best is to fast in order to prepare for more frequent Communion - as
frequently as is possible.

Do not disregard prayer or fasting, and then still expect to be prepared to
receive. Be reasonable.

You *must* keep the fast in the days prior to Communion, so periods of Lent make
this all easier.

To casually approach the Body and Blood of Christ is spiritually dangerous. So
spiritually, take advantage of the strictness of the fasting rules in Lent, in
order to prepare more readily, and to commune more frequently.

"We hear people claiming that fasting is harmful to health. But strict fasting
is not demanded of ill people, who fast only according to their strength. Most
importantly, one should remember that only those people who themselves do not
fast, speak about the "harm to the health" of fasting. But those who observe
fasting will never say this, for they know, through personal experience that not
only is fasting not harmful, but it is positively beneficial to bodily health. "
(St Metropolitan Philaret)

A real Christian fast gives believers a great moral satisfaction.

The great teacher of asceticism, Bishop Theophan the Recluse says of fasting:
"fasting appears gloomy until one steps into its arena, but begin and you will
see what a light it brings after darkness, what freedom after bonds, what
release after a burdensome life…"

Roman,

The RC fasting discipline is "featherweight" only because most people choose the minimum. There are many examples of extreme fasting in the Western Church even today.

Regarding Eastern Catholics fasting and abstinence, one could also consider the commonly understood "mandatory" discipline to be "featherweight" but those who take time to try to understand the tradition do better than that. Personally I find that abstaining from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the entire year helps my prayer life. When I think of eating, I recall that I have given it up; my next thought is that God has provided well without that "extra" meat. What better way is there to "pray always."

In our modern American society, I suggest that for some a better fast than that from foods is to fast from the television, radio, or the internet.

And of course the other point about fasting is that we do tend to keep the way we fast to ourselves - we don't say " Oh I'm doing this - what are you doing ? "

It seems to be a great RC 'thing' to discuss what you are giving up for Lent - this is something we don't do - fasting is part and parcel of our daily lives.

Equally - if we are out , having a meal with friends for example , it's totally wrong to say " I can't have this , I can't have that , a drink ? - oh no - that's not allowed as I'm fasting " Under these conditions we eat what is put in front of us

I understand some circumstances when one would humbly surrender as stated above, but there is also a conviction to evangelize and teach through our action. One could humbly say "I have chosen to give up the steak because I have found that I become a better person with self-denial" or some similar comment. Most times this will lead to a conversation about Faith, rather then the winner/loser on Dancing with the Stars or some local gossip.

Good info here, all! When discerning actions of self-denial, I try to reasonably ask myself what things could be getting in the way of my prayer life, whether food, coffee, media (forums! Gulp!) or whatnot. I think that can help keep things in perspective and avoid the temptation towards an overly-legalistic interpretation.

What about an exemption for being too skinny? I have always had this theory that because I am so skinny that perhaps I shouldnt fast on food except the pre-communion rule? I've got like a 28 inch waist and 6 foot tall. I have always had a problem with gaining weight if ya know what I mean.

God bless and thank you for your answer.