Nativity Fast 2021-2022: from what date, meals by day for Orthodox Christians, calendar

Christmas (Filippov) post installed in honor of the holiday Nativity. For Orthodox Christians this post is always starts on November 28 and lasts until January 6 inclusive. The fast lasts 40 days; in severity it is inferior to Lent, since hot food with vegetable oil, as well as fish, seafood and wine, are quite often allowed.

The eve of Lent is November 27, in 2021 this is Friday - the day of remembrance of the Apostle Philip , which is why Lent is also called Filippov. The popular name for the Nativity Fast is Filippovka .

In 2021, the Nativity Fast will begin on Saturday, November 28th. On New Year's Day (Friday night), believers are allowed minor relaxations. Lent ends with the onset of Christmas, on the night of Thursday, January 7th.

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The essence of the Nativity fast

The essence of any fast, not just Christmas, is the desire for God and repentance for one’s sins. Without a spiritual component, it is just a diet. Correctly refers to abstinence from food as a means of humbling one’s flesh and cleansing oneself from sins.

The Nativity fast is needed in order to cleanse the heart, body and soul for the appearance of the Son of God in the world.

Why is Lent called Christmas?

Officially, the winter fast is called Christmas fast. It is dedicated to the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, and begins 40 days before it. People also call him Filippov (“Filippki”). The day before, the Church celebrates the day of remembrance of the Apostle Philip, a disciple of Jesus Christ, through whose prayers the blind received their sight.

Story

Initially, all fasts did not have clearly defined dates, but for a short time, believers refused food in order to cleanse their soul and body.

The Nativity Fast was mentioned in the works of Augustine, Philastrius and Ambrose of Milan back in the 4th century. Until 1166, abstinence lasted in different ways. Some peoples adhered to it for 7 days, others a little longer. It was adopted for forty days at a council of Christians in 1166 under the Byzantine emperor Manuel. In the Russian Church Charter, the rules of fasting appeared in the 17th century. At the same time, the norms of abstinence for the laity were not so strict.

The beginning and end of the Nativity Fast in 2021

The Nativity Fast is the last of 4 multi-day fasts in the calendar. Its date is fixed and remains the same from year to year.

In 2021, the Nativity Fast will begin on Sunday, November 28, and end on Wednesday evening, January 6, 2022.

In 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and subsequent years, the Nativity Fast will last from November 28 to January 6, exactly 40 days.

Interesting to know. Winter fasting was not always so long. During the time of the early Christians, its duration was only one week.

The decision to increase the days of fasting was made by the Patriarch of Constantinople during the reform of 1166. And only the Armenian Apostolic Church still follows the ancient tradition and fasts from December 30 to January 5.

Example of a Lenten menu for a week

To have an idea of how best to create a diet for a fasting table for all 40 days, it is proposed to take the one-week option as a basis. In this case, the recommendations of the Daily Nutrition Calendar for the laity are taken into account.

It is not necessary to strictly follow the recommendations of this menu. This is just a sample of what the menu should look like during Lent. Each housewife will create her own diet based on the preferences of the family.

Sample menu for the week for the Nativity Fast

Monday

Breakfast: Rice porridge on water with the addition of prunes. Herb tea.
Lunch: Vegetable puree soup. Steamed bean cutlets. Berry juice.
Afternoon snack: Lenten cookies. Kissel.
Dinner: Mashed potatoes without oil. Compote.

Tuesday

Breakfast: Buckwheat porridge. Tea.
Lunch: Lenten borscht. Fish cutlets. Kissel.
Afternoon snack: Fresh apple.
Dinner: Boiled potatoes with a piece of soaked herring. Herb tea.

Wednesday

Breakfast: Vegetable salad. Slice of bread. Tea without sugar.
Lunch: Potato soup without frying. Baked carrots.
Afternoon snack: Lenten cookies. Herb tea.
Dinner: Rice cutlets. Apple juice.

Thursday

Breakfast: Rice porridge on water, with raisins. The cookies are inconvenient. Herb tea.
Lunch: Fish soup. Vegetable cabbage rolls. Berry juice.
Afternoon snack: Banana.
Dinner: Pumpkin porridge. Tea

Friday

Breakfast: Oatmeal porridge with water, with raisins. The cookies are inconvenient. Kissel.
Lunch: Lentil soup. Steamed carrot cutlets. Berry juice.
Afternoon snack: Apple baked with honey.
Dinner: Pasta made without eggs. Tea without sugar.

Saturday

Breakfast: Vinaigrette. Herb tea.
Lunch: Pea soup. Potatoes baked in the oven. Dried fruits compote.
Afternoon snack: Apple baked with honey.
Dinner: Vegetable salad. A piece of boiled fish. Juice.

Sunday

Breakfast: Oatmeal porridge with dried fruits. Tea.
Lunch: Okroshka without meat products. Bean cutlets. Compote.
Afternoon snack: Apple and carrot salad dressed with honey.
Dinner: Mashed potatoes. Baked fish. Dried fruits compote.

How should you eat during the Nativity fast?

The Church Charter clearly states what foods should be abstained from during the period from November 28 to January 6. Clergymen often call such products brashny (from the church “brashno” - “food, food”).

Meat, milk, eggs, animal fat and butter, all kinds of cheeses and cottage cheese are completely excluded from the diet.
The ban does not apply to fish dishes and wine. But they are only allowed on certain days.
The strictest fast is on all Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. These days, in addition to animal products, they do not eat fish or drink wine. You should eat food without oil, preferably after Vespers.
Portions during Lent should be such “to maintain the strength of the body, not serving voluptuousness, but true need.” Everyone independently determines the amount of food and the frequency of its consumption.
Wine is allowed on major church holidays.

There should be no pleasure or satiety from food. It is better to leave the dish with a feeling of slight hunger.

Who should not fast

Monks, clergy and sincere believers follow strict adherence to the rules.

Some categories of laity are allowed to make concessions in the following situations:

if the person is seriously ill;
engaged in heavy physical labor;
is of advanced age;
travels (adaptation to new climatic conditions requires large amounts of energy).

Military personnel, pregnant women and nursing mothers are exempt from fasting. They require protein found in meat as well as calcium found in eggs and dairy products to perform their duties.

Young children are not subjected to strict abstinence - this is harmful to the growing body. You can simply limit yourself to fewer sweets.

Nutrition calendar by day

As already mentioned, for Orthodox Christians the Nativity Fast is not a diet. The meal calendar does not include meals. Each day has its own restrictions, which we try not to violate.

Every year the food is different every day. The diet of Orthodox Christians largely depends on the days of the week and holidays. In order not to get confused when and what food you should abstain from, we suggest using a detailed calendar for 2021-2022.

For convenience, the Nativity Fast is divided into 3 periods. They are distinguished by their duration and severity.

First 3 weeks

Compared to the Great and Dormition fasts, the Nativity Fast is easier to bear. On many days, fish and dishes with vegetable oil support my strength. The first 3 weeks include several holidays. How to eat right every day:

11.2021 — Dishes prepared with vegetable oil, fish.
11.2021 — Hot lean food.
11.2021 - Fish dishes, vegetable oil, cooked vegetables.
12.2021 — Dry food: raw fruits and vegetables, bread, salt, honey, dried fruits, nuts.
12.2021 — Hot food, fish and vegetable oil.
12.2021 — Dry diet.
12.2021 (great feast of the Entry of the Virgin Mary) - You can drink a little wine and eat fish. Dishes are prepared in vegetable oil.
12.2021 — You can include seafood, hot soup, and dishes with vegetable oil in your diet.
12.2021 - Cooked vegetables, hot food without oil.
12.2021 - Fish, stewed vegetables, soups, vegetable oil.
12.2021 — Dry diet.
12.2021 — You can eat hot food with butter and seafood.
12.2021 — Dry diet.
12.2021 — Hot dishes flavored with vegetable oil, fish.
12.2021- Hot food with butter, fish cutlets, fish dishes.
12.2021 — Soups and other hot, but lean dishes.
12.2021 — You can eat fish and hot food with oil.
12.2021 — Dry diet.
12.2021 — It is allowed to eat seafood and hot food with butter.
12.2021 - Only raw products.
12.2021 — Hot food, vegetable oil, fish.
12.2021 (the great feast of St. Nicholas) - fish dishes, Lenten pies, hot vegetable casseroles with butter, and wine are allowed.

Second part of the post

From the 20th the fast intensifies. On Tuesday and Thursday you will need to do without fish dishes. For many people, the second part of the Nativity Fast is the most difficult. New Year falls on these days. Nutrition calendar by day:

12.2021 — Hot dishes without oil (lean soups, porridges, boiled vegetables).
12.2021 — Food cooked in vegetable oil.
12.2021 — Dry diet.
12.2021 - Hot soups, porridges, vegetable stews with butter.
12.2021 - Fresh fruits, carrots, cabbage, nuts, bread with honey.
12.2021 — Fish and other seafood are allowed. Food can be eaten hot, with vegetable oil.
12.2021 - Hot fish dishes, mushrooms, cooked vegetables, porridge with vegetable oil.
12.2021 — Hot food without oil.
12.2021- Foods with vegetable oil: soups, borscht, porridge, vegetable cutlets, stews.
12.2021 — Dry diet.
12.2021 - Boiled food with added oil, stewed vegetables, and mushrooms are allowed.
12.2021 — Dry diet.
01.2022 - You can drink wine, eat a hot fish dish, stewed, pickled or baked vegetables, mushrooms.

Final "week"

The last days before Christmas are the strictest. Fish is completely removed from the diet, and oil is allowed only on weekends. How to eat:

01.2022 - Hot food with added oil.
01.2022 — Dry diet.
01.2022 - Hot porridges, lean soups, cooked vegetables.
01.2022 — Dry diet.
On January 6, until the first star appears, people abstain from any food. Then, after Vespers, they eat sochivo - steamed wheat with additives: nuts, poppy seeds, honey, dried fruits.

On the 7th, all Orthodox Christians break their fast. There are no special dishes, like on Easter, for breaking the fast during the Nativity fast. You can eat whatever you want.

Note. Many believers receive communion on Christmas Day. In this case, they fast until Communion itself, which begins after the liturgy on the night of January 6-7. According to church tradition, you cannot eat food for 6 hours before it.

Christmas post on New Year's Eve

A person has especially many temptations during the Nativity Fast. Just look at the New Year, which is celebrated all over the world. Even if the family is Orthodox and does not set a rich table on December 31 at home, there are still friends, relatives and corporate parties. Of course, invitations cannot be ignored.

You should try to choose dishes that are as lean as possible:

cabbage salad;
garnish;
baked vegetables;
nuts;
fresh fruits;
honey.

You can afford wine. But only a glass, no more. If you welcome guests at home, be sure to put non-lenten dishes on the table so as not to offend anyone. Each person is free to choose for himself whether to fast or not.

Rules of nutrition and behavior

The Nativity Fast is primarily associated with food restrictions in order to cleanse the body and make room for spiritual food. The basis of the diet for 40 days will be the following products:

all kinds of cereals, especially buckwheat, oatmeal, wheat and rice;
legumes containing vegetable protein;
vegetables, fruits, berries and dried fruits;
herbs and spices;
mushrooms;
low-fat fish and seafood;
flour products, preferably whole grain, without milk or eggs;
vegetable oil – olive, flaxseed, sunflower;
nuts, honey and a small amount of dark chocolate;
red natural wine, but only on weekends, and in strictly limited quantities.

You cannot consume the listed products every day. For example, on some days of the week you can eat only those foods that do not require heat treatment, while on others you are allowed to supplement the menu with fish dishes and use oil when cooking.

As for prohibited foods, first of all, a ban is imposed on all products of animal origin:

any types of meat;
liver, heart, brain and other internal organs;
eggs;
dairy and fermented milk products;
animal fats – butter, lard.

In addition, you need to exclude fatty, smoked and fried foods from your diet. Various sweets, including sugar, are also prohibited - confectionery, milk or white chocolate, etc. It is strictly forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages. The only exception may be church red wine.

In addition to food prohibitions, other rules of behavior and restrictions must be observed during the Nativity Fast. For 40 days you cannot do the following:

swear, argue, use foul language, get angry;
envy, gossip, lie;
think about bad things, become depressed;
drink alcoholic beverages and smoke tobacco products;
sit back;
have fun, dance, attend entertainment events;
celebrate any events;
get married or play a wedding;
baptize children without urgent need;
resort to love pleasures;
travel, except for those that have a spiritual or religious basis;
Watching TV and surfing the Internet should be limited.

During Philippi's fast, you need to do as many good deeds as possible, for example, helping people in need, homeless animals, donating money to charity, etc.

What not to do

Fasting means limiting yourself not only in food. Fasting overlaps with entertainment too. It is customary for Orthodox Christians to refrain from watching entertainment programs and movies during all days of fasting. It is not recommended to go on social networks.

But it is especially important to exclude everything evil from your heart. It is forbidden:

To be offended and offended.
Consider other people worse than yourself, condemn.
Retell gossip and rumors.
Indulge your anger, lust, irritation.
Limit fasting to food only.

The last point is especially important. It is best explained by the words from a church song:

A rather sensitive issue of abstaining from intimacy. On the one hand, during Lent it is not recommended to indulge in the pleasures of the flesh. On the other hand, you need to take into account the needs of your spouse, respect them, and be guided by the principles of love. Some Orthodox couples do not stop intimate relationships during Lent, but engage in intimacy with restraint.

Lenten recipes

For those who are faced with creating a menu that excludes fast food for the first time, simple recipes for preparing such dishes are offered.

Oatmeal porridge with nuts

The most recommended dish during Lent is oatmeal. To make the porridge crumbly, it is recommended to pour the cereal (250 g) with water (3 cups) and leave overnight to swell. In the morning they continue, following the algorithm:

place the pan with cereal over medium heat;
add salt to taste and bring to a boil;
reduce the flame and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (do not cover with a lid);
Walnut kernels (100 g) are fried and added to the porridge 5 minutes before the end of cooking.

When serving, the dish can be poured with a little melted honey. If you do not pre-soak the cereal, but immediately cook it, the cooking time increases to 1 hour.

Lenten borscht

Even without meat you can cook a hearty first course. Mushroom broth is quite suitable, for the preparation of which you take a few champignons. Lenten borscht is prepared using the following technology:

small onions (2 pcs.) are finely chopped and fried in a small amount of vegetable oil;
when the onion becomes transparent, add grated beets, carrots (1 piece each) and parsley root (1/2) grated and soaked in vinegar;
After mixing, add 1 tbsp flour and 3 tbsp. tomato paste;
transfer the dressing into a saucepan and gradually dilute with strained broth (3 l);
cook over low heat for 30 minutes;
then add shredded cabbage (1/2 head) and cut potatoes (3 pcs.);
after 20 minutes, add pieces of fried fish (boneless), chopped mushrooms, washed raisins (1/4 cup), and a few olives to the borscht;
cook for another 5 minutes, add chopped herbs and after 2 minutes turn off the stove.

The acidity of lean borscht is moderate, but if desired, you can add a little lemon at the end of cooking. If the day of fasting was not a fish day, then it is better not to add this product to the soup.

Rice cutlets

You can make cutlets from any grain, and they will be no less appetizing than meat cutlets. The process is as follows:

from rice (2 cups) cook a thick porridge in water;
allow to cool and add onion stewed in vegetable oil (1/2 head), sprinkled with flour (1 tbsp);
salt, add spices to taste and stir well;
cutlets are formed, breaded in breadcrumbs and fried in a frying pan.

Canned green peas or vegetable salad are served as a side dish. You can pour mushroom or sweet sauce (raisins and prunes) over the cutlets.

Potato salad with herring

This appetizer is served on days when fish is allowed into the diet. Cooking takes little time, and the salad turns out appetizing if you follow this recipe:

potatoes (5-7 pcs.) are boiled in their jackets;
peeled and cut into slices 1 cm thick;
onions (1 pc.) cut into rings;
salted herring fillet (200 g) is cut into small slices.

The ingredients are placed in a heap in a salad bowl. For dressing, mix vegetable oil (1 tbsp), mustard (1 tsp) and 3% vinegar (50 g).

Orange jelly

This dessert can be made from any fruit, but citrus fruits are always associated with the winter holidays. Therefore, during the Nativity fast, orange jelly will not only support the immune system, but will also lift your spirits. The recipe includes the following steps:

oranges (4 pcs.) are peeled and juice is squeezed;
the drink is filtered to separate the pulp;
chopped zest (1 tbsp) is poured with water (3.5 cups) and placed on the stove;
After letting it simmer for 5 minutes, remove the broth, strain and put it back on low heat;
starch (4 tbsp) is diluted with cold water (0.5 cup) and poured in a thin stream into the broth with constant stirring.

After letting it boil again, remove the jelly from the stove. Pour in orange juice, stir well and pour into portioned molds. After waiting for the dessert to cool down, the containers are sent to the refrigerator.

Dried fruit candies with nuts

Making sweets from dried fruits is very simple. In a dry frying pan, brown cashew nuts (100 g) and grind into flour. Soak raisins (70 g), dried apricots (200 g) and pitted dates (200 g) in boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Then pass the dried fruits through a meat grinder, combine with nut flour and roll into small balls. Roll them in sesame seeds and cool for 1.5-2 hours. The sweets are very tasty and healthy.

Questions and answers

How to properly prepare for fasting?

To prevent fasting from becoming stressful for the body, you need to start preparing for it 2-3 weeks in advance. Preparation consists of gradually reducing the amount of meat and milk in the diet. The day before entering the fast, it is recommended to cleanse the intestines. In the first days, frequent snacks between main meals (fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, nuts) will help you cope with the feeling of hunger. Servings of dishes should be made large in order to gain calories.

Do all Orthodox Christians need to adhere to the Nativity Fast?

There are relaxations for pregnant women at any stage, nursing mothers, sick people, military personnel and prisoners. Their diet should be more nutritious and varied. This is about food. Otherwise, they can fast like all believers - through restraint and repentance of sins.

In conclusion, fasting is not about eating at all. This is about something else: about thoughts, eyes, language, attitude towards others. You need to watch less TV and spend time on gadgets. Instead, it is better to spend your free time on rethinking your actions, fighting bad habits, and helping your neighbors and those in need. As for restrictions in the diet, you need to fast as it turns out. It is wrong to be burdened by the lack of meat on the table. The post should be pleasant and meaningful.

Sayings and signs

If during the Nativity Fast the weather is extremely cloudy or snowy, then May will be quite stormy.
If there are frequent snowstorms, you should expect an early spring.
If there are frosts in the first days, then the grain harvest will be good.
If relatives quarrel during Lent, then the whole next year will be full of troubles.
The loss of something promises losses in the coming year, and any discovery promises new income.
If, at the end of the moon, you touch a dry branch with a wart, saying: “Just as during fasting the meat on a platter is empty, so that the wart is thin,” then it will dry out and fall off.