Stick to posts - the tradition is so ancient,that an unambiguous answer, when and why it appeared, does not exist. Someone speaks about the peculiarities of seasonal biorhythms, someone claims that banal food shortages led to restrictions. Over time, the post took on the character of a rite, and then religious meaning also appeared in it. Anyway, but in the modern civilized world, where food is abundant, fasting is a useful thing. Moreover, in the Christian tradition of shilling, there is also a spiritual side: a person should not only refuse fast food, but also renounce passions and vices.

Every year after the end of the merry CarnivalLent begins for the laity. What can be eaten, and what is not possible during this period, is of interest to many believers. We will talk about this in our article.

What is the post for the laity?

Restrictions on food during the Christian fastis regulated by the Church Charter, which is strictly adhered to by the clergy. All other people living in the world as a whole must follow the same rules. But the Orthodox fast for lay people is less severe. Priests and monks are ordered to limit themselves more in food and pleasure, pray more often and indulge in spiritual meditation.

Strict observance of the post provides fordry eating, eating once a day on weekdays (in the evening) and twice - on Saturday and Sunday. It is forbidden to sweet and fat (even vegetable oil), and boiled food should be cold. Meals for the laity in the fasting are not so severely restricted: on certain days you can eat hot, eat fish. You can drink a little wine on holidays and Sundays. You can take food several times a day, but it's still desirable to start after noon.

Four multi-day fasts

Each year the Lent begins and ends at different times, since it precedes the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ, and it does not have a fixed date. This is the longest, seven-week fast.

The duration and time of Petrovsky's startshining depends on what day the holiday of the Resurrection falls: the earlier Easter, the longer the fast. It begins a week after the Trinity and ends on July 12, the day of the apostles Peter and Paul.

Next time you will have to give up the fast from the 14th to the 28th of August. This is the Assumption fast, it is timed to the feast of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin. In the common people it is called Spassky.

Forty days the Christmas fast for the laity continues - from November 28 to January 6.

The Fast before the Resurrection of Christ

Lent appeared in the church back in the apostolic times. It is dedicated to Jesus Christ, who for forty days prayed and fasted in the wilderness before preaching.

A great post for the laity is not just the mostlong, but also the most severe. On the first day you can not eat at all. Similarly, to abstain should be on Good Friday (on the eve of Easter). On this day the Savior was crucified, and the believers remember his sufferings and read special prayers.

Lay people can consume cold boiled food inThe 1 st and 4 th week of fasting, is hotter in other weeks, except for Passion: the last week before the holiday is prescribed strict observance of all restrictions.

What you can not eat?

In fasting, you can not eat meat, milk (even dry),eggs (and egg powder), animal fats. It is forbidden to eat dishes that contain these products. The store will have to linger for a long time at each shelf to carefully read the composition of what is supposed to be bought. Today many manufacturers offer special lean products and even fast food restaurants make up separate menus without fast food.

Fasting for the laity forbids eating chocolate -even the one in which there is no milk and other ingredients of animal origin. The reason for this taboo is that in this period you should limit yourself and in pleasures.

What can I eat?

Food that can be consumed in fasting depends onincluding from a week. In the first, fourth and seventh weeks, a strict fasting is prescribed to use on weekdays raw food and bread - the so-called dry eating. In the second, third, fifth, sixth week, food is allowed to cook.

In fasting, you can eat everything that has a vegetableorigin, - a variety of cereals, vegetables, fruits, pickles, lean bread. Be sure to include beans and greens in the diet. Mushrooms are also considered mornings. Conservation is useful: jams, apples, apricots and pears in syrup.

Quite strict restrictions thatestablishes the Great Lent for the laity by the days of the week. So, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are the most strict days. They can not be hot even in the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th weeks. Lenten oil is acceptable on Saturday and Sunday, on big church holidays - Annunciation (April 7) and Palm Sunday (a week before Easter) - you can eat fish. In Lazarev Saturday (before Palm Sunday) fish caviar is allowed.

Alcohol, from which the fast for lay people generally orders to abstain, is only allowed in the form of grape wine on Sundays. The amount should be very moderate.

Disputable products

The clergy have not yet come to a singleopinion on seafood. Some believe that their use is possible, since shrimps and mollusks in the church tradition are not considered to be living beings. Others tend to eat seafood at the same time as vegetable oil, on weekends and holidays. The Old Testament generally calls this food "unclean", it is forbidden to eat it - Orthodox Jews do not eat seafood. The Christian religion in many respects deviates from the Old Testament principles, and the statutes of a number of Orthodox monasteries allow the eating of the tortoise even in Lent. To consume them for food or not is in many ways a personal choice for the fasting person.

Body and spirit

It should be remembered that the Great Lent for the laity- this is not just a diet, but an excuse to cleanse the soul and thoughts from sinful and vain thoughts and feelings. The purification of the body alone, without the participation of the soul, contradicts the meaning of fasting, which is called to bring man closer to God. At this time, you should refuse not only from delicious food, but also from other pleasures: do not attend entertainment, do not arrange noisy holidays.

During the fast in the church, they do not get married - religiouspeople will have to suffer with the wedding. Strict chastening prescribes to refrain from conjugal duties, as well as bad habits and other destructive passions. Fasting can not be an easy walk, it is a feat in the name of the Lord. Believers must necessarily confess to a spiritual mentor, attend church services and receive communion.

Fasting is first and foremost time for committinggood deeds, strict observance of Christ's commandments, abstinence from vain cares. It is necessary to help your neighbor, to give alms to the needy.

Fasting and health

Doctors consider the post useful: unloading the body from food of animal origin has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, metabolic processes. It is important during this period to observe the balance of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Vegetable food gives such an opportunity: a large number of proteins contain legumes and mushrooms, carbohydrates have a lot in each vegetable and fruit, and essential oils are provided by oils, especially unrefined, fish and seafood. The diet of the fasting person should be balanced, especially for people whose health condition is not perfect.

Fasting for the laity allows relaxation forold people, children, pregnant and lactating women. If any diseases are present, consultation with a doctor is necessary. It should be remembered that the Church does not recommend removing restrictions on its own: in each case, one must receive the blessing of one's spiritual mentor.

How to leave the post without harm to health?

It is important to know that fasting for lay people producescertain changes in the body. More enzymes are developed, designed to digest plant food, and from the animal body wean. Therefore, it is necessary to leave the post correctly. On the day of Holy Passover, there is no need to attack the fast food: one or two pieces of consecrated Easter cake and an egg are more than enough to break up. Not every body will survive, if after a long diet at once will get a lot of fatty meat, a dozen eggs and two kilos of sweet muffin. The number of acute pancreatitis and cholecystitis on Easter days increases sharply precisely because some lay people unreasonably leave the post.