What does a plot for meat mean and when does it happen?
There are 4 main fasts in Christianity:
- Lent, which precedes the main Christian holiday - Easter.
- Christmas post. It is observed before the Savior's birthday.
- Petrov post. It was installed in memory of the holy apostles Peter and Paul.
- Assumption Fast. Its culmination is the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Before each of these fasts, a conspiracy takes place, which prepares the believer for restrictions on food and spiritual work.
Food occupies the most important place in rituals and beliefs, but there are many other aspects related to the life and way of life of villagers. Today, most of these rituals are a thing of the past, but there are many that remain. For example, on Maslenitsa, the tradition is to burn a straw effigy, sing, walk, have fun, eat pancakes, go to visit and invite people to your house. This is what the spell for fasting means.
What is the essence of the conspiracy
Making a fast, or, to put it in simple words, preparing for fasting, at first glance may seem like a difficult and even overwhelming task, however, for a person striving for spiritual life, fasting is a good time to test oneself both physically and, first of all, spiritually.
People have always associated the ritual with special joy, because on this day it was customary to go to visit and receive guests themselves. The housewives prepared a lavish table, demonstrating their culinary skills.
On the final day before fasting, quick meals are prepared.
One may get the impression that the spell is associated solely with the refusal of food of animal origin and does not imply anything more. But, according to old traditions that developed back in the 5th century, it is also customary to observe purity of thoughts and actions, and also to refuse any pleasure activities. The time once devoted to so-called “earthly” concerns during the period of fasting should be set aside for the work of the soul.
Important! During the days of fasting, it was customary to read the Holy Scriptures, pray more diligently in the morning and evening, and, of course, attend church services.
For a true Christian, time spent close to God is the best, because a person who lives in accordance with the Lord’s commandments cares more about the soul and spiritual food than about the body.
It is also important to understand that fasting is always associated with voluntariness and all prohibitions are not perceived as hardships. Probably for this reason, many priests say that both soul and body should be prepared for fasting; it is wrong to treat this time as just a diet. If a person is not ready to devote this time to spiritual life, then he should not force himself or, especially, rely on someone else and follow his example to adhere to fast days.
In addition, you should be aware that for some people, there are restrictions on fasting for medical reasons. You should not neglect your health and the opinion of doctors, but if there is a great need to join this spiritual tradition, then you should definitely first consult with your doctor.
He can draw up a rough nutrition plan without compromising his health and then talk with the priest, who will also tell you about some necessary relaxations in fasting and bless this endeavor.
Prayer for Lent
One of the longest and strictest spiritual and ascetic practices in the charter of the Church. At this time, believers remember the terrible events of the Gospel - the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the Cross, his earthly suffering. To enter into fasting correctly, you need to start a prayer accordingly.
People far from religion believe that Maslenitsa week itself is the last before the central fast in all churches, and there is a conspiracy, but this is not so. During Pancake Week, you can no longer eat meat or other meat products. However, eggs and milk remain allowed.
The plan is the so-called “Meat Empty”, the name of which in Greek means “I separate, I stop the meat.” The Sunday before Cheese Week is the last day when Orthodox Christians can eat meat. At the liturgy in the church on this day, the Gospel of the Last Judgment is read. The Church reminds believers of the coming Second Coming of Jesus Christ, when he will judge the living and the dead.
According to Slavic traditions, on this day it was customary to visit people and invite people to Maslenitsa. The father-in-law called his son-in-law to “finish the lamb,” the housewives distributed bread, cheese and wine to the neighbors “for God’s sake.”
In Ukraine, it was customary to slaughter a pig and cook jellied meat from its legs, which is why this day was nicknamed “Like Lettings.” In the Kharkov province, on the night before Gluttonous Week, a wife separated her husband from her body. It was believed that marital intimacy that night would cause all the piglets to be stolen by wolves.
On the last day of Meat Week, our Slavic brothers from Croatia and Bulgaria stabbed and cooked chicken, and with the blood of this bird they painted crosses on their children’s foreheads. It was believed that Maslenitsa must be sprinkled with blood.
Preparation for fasting
For a churchgoer, there is no need to explain this word; however, most people who do not adhere to Orthodox traditions are baffled by the word “beginning”. In simple words, the spell is the last day before the start of any fast, on which you can still eat meat, milk and eggs.
According to Vladimir Dahl's explanatory dictionary, to start a fast means to stop eating fast food during fasting. Usually they cite as an example the day called Forgiveness Sunday, when Maslenitsa passes, about which the following expression has been preserved: “I make a meal of cheese and butter, they say on the eve of Maslenitsa.”
Lent is the last day before the start of a multi-day fast.
In the old days, the word “fasting” meant fasting or following certain prohibitions associated with eating in the Orthodox tradition.
The fast usually occurs before one of the significant Orthodox fasts, which is traditionally associated with the forty-day wanderings of Jesus Christ in the desert. This fast, which takes place 40 days before Easter, is called Great Lent.
According to church tradition, the prayer on the eve of Lent differs in two options:
- Sunday prayer for meat (meat and meat), which occurs a week before Maslenitsa week;
- Confession on Forgiveness Sunday for other frugal foods.
The opposite of fasting is the word “break your fast,” meaning the very first meal after the end of fasting.
Read about the posts:
- What is fasting in Orthodoxy and how to observe it
- Main rules and mistakes of fasting
- The benefits and harms of fasting for the body
Prayer for Petrov fast
After Trinity Day, the week begins that precedes Peter's Fast. It is called the “Sunday of All Saints,” when all Orthodox saints are remembered, and believers celebrate their name days - one for all.
This is a continuous week, which means meat and other light foods are not prohibited, including on Wednesday and Friday. The holiday has been celebrated since the end of the 4th – beginning of the 5th centuries. They mentioned him in their sermons:
- John Chrysostom;
- Ephraim the Syrian;
- Syriac Lectionary.
At Matins on this day they begin to read the “pillar”. We are talking about the sequence of 11 Sunday Gospels telling about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the evening service, three proverbs are read containing Old Testament references to the glory of the saints.
There are many Slavic traditions associated with the fast of Peter the Great. Mass celebrations took place in Rus'. The youth had fun all day until late in the evening, and sometimes all night. At sunset they set out for the outskirts with flowers and herbs. It was necessary to go around it, go out into the field and at the moment when the luminary was hiding behind the horizon, kneel down, bow to the ground and exclaim: “Farewell, red spring, goodbye!” Turn back quickly again!”
In many regions, funeral rites were performed for the mermaids, Kostroma, and Yarila. Many traditions and rituals were associated with eggs; it is no coincidence that the fast of Peter the Great is also called “egg fasting”. For example, a girl who received a gift from a guy for the Maslenitsa feast made a return gift for the egg feast - she presented boiled eggs. At the same time, they were often painted in the same way as at Easter - in a decoction of onion peels.
The main thing on this day were games with eggs, which had a love and marriage theme. They lit fires along the banks of rivers and lakes, had meals, and after sunset they undressed and swam.
What does it mean to start a fast?
Pundits have written a bunch of reference books especially for us, containing an interpretation of any term. According to D. N. Ushakov’s dictionary, the fast is the last day before Orthodox fasting. The word consists of a root and a prefix. This is how it should be disassembled. “Fasting” means “fasting,” that is, observing certain restrictions associated with food intake.
The prefix for- in our case speaks of the period preceding the one to which the root indicates. Put it together and we get the day before Lent. In fact, it is perceived by believers as a kind of holiday. People are preparing spiritually and physically for the upcoming trials. You don’t need to think that fasting is something ordinary. By limiting themselves in food intake and entertainment, believers strengthen their spirit, correct the mistakes of the past, and acquire the grace of the Lord. This is a serious test for a true personality, because temptation will be everywhere during Lent.
Prayer for the Assumption Fast
The two-week fast before the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary also precedes the ritual. In terms of severity, this spiritual-ascetic practice is the same as Lent. If it is not forbidden to eat fish on Christmas Day, then on this day only food of plant origin is allowed.
The Assumption Fast has an ancient history. The Mother of God herself, having learned about her imminent earthly death, began to prepare for this event with intense fasting and prayer, thereby setting an example for the believers.
On the last day before fasting, all-night vigils dedicated to the All-Merciful Savior are held at the evening service. Vespers and Matins are celebrated in churches. The cross is transferred from the altar to the throne according to the order that was established for the Week of the Worship of the Cross.
During the fast dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God, and the next day after its completion, believers celebrate the three Saviors, blessing honey, apples, nuts, and other foods. On Honey Spas, they bring honey and poppy seeds to churches for blessing, and then eat themselves and treat friends and family. In the evening, mead and other honey drinks are placed on the table.
It is not allowed to harvest apples and grapes and eat them before the Apple Savior, but after the consecration - please. Despite fasting, this holiday is widely celebrated by Orthodox people. The central lectern in the temple is decorated with gifts of nature:
- apples;
- grapes;
- pears;
- Melons and watermelons are placed on the floor.
At the end of the service, believers can take it all home.
Spell for Christmas
The Nativity Fast ends the year. It is also called Filippov, because it begins on the day of memory of the disciple of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Philip. There is a procedure established by the church charter designed to determine the day of the conspiracy. If it falls on a one-day fast - Wednesday or Friday, then it is moved back a day. This, for example, happened in 2021. The spell for the Nativity Fast fell on November 27 - Friday, and therefore it was moved to November 26 - Thursday.
This is the last day when Christians can afford fast food, but the Nativity Fast is not particularly strict. Fish and food with oil are allowed. Wednesday and Friday traditionally remain fast.
The beginning of the Nativity Fast was celebrated widely in Rus'. The last weddings were played out, although weddings were no longer held on that day. In the Nizhny Novgorod province there was a tradition of organizing a lavish dinner feast, where the main dish was a three-year-old bull, specially fattened for this holiday.
In Belarus, women were the first to start the festive meal. It was believed that if you follow this rule, you can expect a good offspring of female livestock at the beginning of the feast.
On this day, they did not forget about the brownie - the mythological owner and patron of the house. A meat dish was taken to the attic and milk was poured in to start a conversation. In the Volga region, this Christmas ritual became widespread: before going to bed, girls put the remains of dinner under their pillow, collected after the evening meal for the ritual. It was believed that this could help to see the betrothed in a dream.
