|
 The tradition of Great Lent dates back to Ancient Russia. Until now, it has been preserved in the Orthodox Church. In terms of time and meaning, Great Lent is the most important and longest for Orthodox Christians, the purpose of which is to prepare the spirit and body for Easter.
Many people associate fasting with a special diet during this period. But the meaning of Great Lent is in cleansing the spirit, putting in order the spiritual life and one's thoughts, leaving the daily vanity in the awareness of the spiritual exploit of Christ.
Great Lent is a reminder of the forty-day fast of Christ the Savior in the wilderness, fasting introduces Orthodox Christians into Holy Week - the memories of the last earthly days of Christ, his suffering, death and burial. The Savior showed people an example of fasting, he fasted 40 days and nights in the wilderness and told his disciples that the devil can only be driven out by fasting and prayer. Lent this 2012 will be held from February 27 to April 14.
Lent has four periods and lasts 48 days:
- the first 40 days - Forty days;
- Lazarev Saturday - 6 Saturday fast;
- The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem - 6 Sunday of Lent (Palm Sunday);
- Passion Week.
The last week of Great Lent is Holy Week... The days of Holy Week are called Great: for example, Great Monday, Good Friday, and so on all days.
On Great Monday you need to prepare your home - wash, clean, paint.
On Great Tuesday, clothes are prepared and linen is ironed.
All chores must be completed on Great Wednesday. It is necessary to completely clean the whole house, get rid of the garbage. Also on this day, eggs are harvested for Easter eggs and Easter eggs, you need to prepare everything you need to paint them.
Maundy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) accounts for the largest number of rituals, accepts and actions. Traditional Easter cakes are baked on this day. Easter is not just a festive bread, it symbolizes the body of Christ. Before you start baking, you need to pray passionately. It is necessary to prepare the body for Easter - wash well.
On Good Friday, you can not eat absolutely anything, it is forbidden to sing songs and listen to music, wash, sew, cut. It is considered a great sin to violate this.
Great Saturday is the most troublesome day for housewives. It is necessary to prepare everything, cook, on this day they make Easter eggs and eggs are painted.
During fasting, bodily and spiritual preparation for the holiday of Easter is accomplished.
Spiritual preparation lies in the fact that on the days of fasting it is necessary to pay more attention to prayer, reading spiritual books, confessions and getting rid of everything sinful and distracting from thoughts about God. The bodily preparation for Lent is abstaining from modest (not lean) food. With the spread of the rite of rare Communion in the Church, which reached its greatest spread in the 19th century, Great Lent began to be perceived as a time of preparation for the reception of the Holy Sacrament (for Communion).
Since the days of fasting are a time of great repentance, the canonical rules prescribe:
- not to perform the full liturgy on weekdays, as a service filled with joy and celebration;
- it is forbidden to organize holidays in honor of the saints on weekdays (their days are transferred to Saturdays and Sundays);
- celebrations, celebrations on the occasion of marriage (on days of fasting, marriage is prohibited) or birthdays are not allowed;
- bodily pleasures and foul language are prohibited.
Features of fast food: What is forbidden and what you can eat during the days of Great Lent
In order not to confuse anything, it makes sense to use a calendar, in which to schedule by day which foods are allowed to be consumed on a particular day.
If a person has never fasted before, it is necessary to enter the fast gradually. Abrupt abandonment of familiar foods can be harmful to health. At the same time, nutritionists consider it necessary to replace animal protein with vegetable protein. These products include legumes, nuts, dried fruits, mushrooms. Children, old people, patients with chronic diseases and pregnant women are exempt from strict fasting.
According to strict rules, on days of fasting, you cannot use:
- absolutely all products that contain meat and meat ingredients;
- absolutely all products containing milk and dairy ingredients, including milk powder;
- all products that contain eggs, including egg powder;
- fish and fish products (except for a few days);
- vegetable oil (there are days of exceptions);
- alcoholic drinks (with the exception of wine on certain days).
But there are some exceptions during fasting. They relate to vegetable oil and wine, they can be consumed on all Saturdays and Sundays (except Holy Saturday). Vegetable oil can be used on the days of remembrance of the most revered saints. Fish dishes it is allowed to prepare for the Annunciation of the Holy Mother of God and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (6 Sunday of Lent). Fish caviar is eaten on Lazarev Saturday (6 Saturday of Lent)
Foods that are allowed to eat during the fast and prepare from them lean dishesare:
- homemade pickles and pickles, pickled vegetables and fruits, jams, juices;
- frozen fruits and vegetables;
- fresh mushrooms, vegetables, fruits, legumes, dried fruits and seeds;
- greens, both fresh and dried, as well as all kinds of spices;
- soy mayonnaise, yogurt, milk, cheese and cottage cheese;
- bread and bakery products, except for muffins, it is advisable to replace white flour with whole grain;
- cereals.
The very first four days and Holy Week are considered to be the hardest days of Great Lent. You shouldn't eat anything on the first day of fasting and Good Friday. On the first Friday of Lent they eat boiled wheatsweetened with sugar or honey.
They eat cold food on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, hot on Tuesday and Thursday.
Chiruk Natalia Alekseevna
|
