Slavic posts. Orthodox calendar for every day. Fasts, holidays, holy days About the project "Old Orthodox Calendar"

Here comes Great Lent. And in one day everything changed dramatically! Just yesterday, the church was full of people, the parishioners asked each other for forgiveness, talked, talked, and for the last time for the next month and a half - right up to Easter itself - came to visit each other.

And then came Monday, called Clean. Of course, not only because it is customary at this time to put things in order in the house, and even more likely not at all for this reason, but primarily because of the soul, which is pretty “dusty” without abstinence and repentance, without purely fervent prayer. And in the church, everything seems to be the same, but not the same: the decoration in the temple has changed, light vestments have been replaced by dark ones, as a sign of sincere sorrow for the upcoming passions of Christ, and prayers sound completely different, and there are fewer people.

I so wanted to remember the old Russian tradition, but today there is nothing special to boast about: there are only two on the kliros - the usher and matushka, there are no men in the temple at all, and only a few old women regularly bow after the priest, who now and then reads on his knees " Lord and master of my life…»

But last year they also stood here - all week the grandmothers did not leave their places, they prayed non-stop in the morning and evening, occasionally sat down to rest, and then again plunged into worship - the first serious test at the very beginning of Great Lent. It can be seen that even now they intend to accomplish that feat of prayer, which, alas, not many can do, and others, perhaps, can do, but they do not understand its significance, importance, and value.

Only a few candles are glowing in the candlesticks, the light of the lamps is jumping, almost imperceptible due to the abundance of the sun that floods the temple, and the faces seem to have become more serious, and the atmosphere is completely different, not the one that was just recently, on Maslenitsa, about the worldly joys of which it is time to forget, having crossed over to the spiritual path... All these days are preparing for the sacrament of confession, many are preparing for the reception of the Holy Mysteries, and in this aspiration they are united as never before. It has been customary from time immemorial: strict fasting is a harbinger of pure repentance, spiritual cleansing.

And the elderly, those who cannot go to church, pray diligently at home. Someone “gathers” the “rule” with ladders, and those who are more literate read the “Correct Canons”. On Monday, the meal is not supplied, on Tuesday - at the discretion of the rector. And therefore, on the afternoon of the second day of the Great Retreat, the aroma of boiled potatoes and the sour aroma of cabbage can be heard from the refectory. But even these modest dishes are eaten sparsely, silently. Everywhere in Old Believer churches these days there are penitential services. And it is unlikely that there will be a parish or a community where there would be many people - although it is a fast, but rare Old Believers gather for a common service, preferring cell prayer.

The priests are perplexed, but they cannot do anything, and therefore they are forced to take upon themselves reading and singing on the kliros, altar chores, and much, much more. Although there are fewer people in rural churches than at traditional Sunday services, people still pray. And the penitential canon of Andrew of Crete is read here not for two or three, as in most city parishes, but for a dozen parishioners. They say that these days it is best to determine whose faith is sincere and ardent, but, of course, not only and even not so much by coming to the service, but by special behavior - and humility, and modesty, and increased demands on oneself.

Yes, to be sure, although we are used to the fact that hundreds of Old Believers gather at Liturgy on weekends in our churches, the purity and sincerity of faith is determined not only by this in the sea of ​​\u200b\u200blife. Young people, for example, cooling off towards the church as soon as they find a good job or start a family, in spite of everything they understand the great value of the first repentant days of fasting - they strictly abstain from food, or reduce music altogether, or switch to information and talk radio stations, and leisure changes to something else, guided by the words of the apostle Paul: We can do everything, but not everything is useful».

... And so zealously about God - until Friday, when, at the end of the first days of fasting, confession most often begins. They signed up for it ahead of time, from Shrovetide itself, and therefore the list in the hands of the priest is quite decent - fifty, if not more, names. For as long as I can remember, people have always gone to repentance on the heel of the first week of Great Lent - on this day people came from everywhere, from neighboring cities and villages, orphans so far without their pastor-priest. And although dozens of parishioners gather in the temple on this day, as well as on others, depending on the traditions of a particular parish or community, the silence here is amazing, piercing.

There is a queue at the confessional, and the canons or the Psalter are barely audible in the kliros. Guests who have come from afar, after leaving the priest, are sincerely congratulated “on pure repentance” and for a long time they still do not take their eyes off the one who has come out, “has given away his sins”, cleansed and, it seems, even transformed in a few tens of minutes of confession. And on Sunday people go to receive the Body and Blood of Christ: dozens, dozens of men and women, mostly, of course, the elderly. You look at them joyfully, realizing that they are about to become involved in the great shrine, for the sake of which, it seems, you can completely refuse food for a whole week, from secular shackles in the form of work and endless affairs accompanying our life - from everything that separates us from that full-fledged spiritual life to which we aspire, but do not always achieve.

And this week, perhaps the main spiritual week for the entire calendar year, brings us one step closer to the bright holiday, which is the crown of Orthodoxy and true spiritual enlightenment for everyone - both the righteous and sinners. So far, one can only dream about it - hope, wait, thousands of prostrations and for many dozens of days of abstinence in food, prepare yourself for it, as nature prepares itself at the beginning of March for the upcoming heat. So far, there are only timid hints at it, but we know that it will come inexorably and inevitably. But Easter will come later, and now it’s a time of work, spiritual and physical…

The total duration of fasting is 48 days. It begins on the Monday, seven weeks before Easter, and ends on the Saturday before the Easter holiday.

The first week of fasting is carried out with particular rigor. On the first day, complete abstinence from food is accepted. Then, from Tuesday to Friday, dry eating is allowed (they eat bread, salt, raw fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, honey, drink water), and on Saturday and Sunday - hot food with butter.

On the second to sixth weeks of Great Lent, dry eating is established on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, hot food without butter is allowed on Tuesday and Thursday, and hot food with butter on Saturday and Sunday.

During Holy Week (the last week of fasting), dry eating is prescribed, and on Friday you can’t eat until the shroud is taken out.

On the feast of the Annunciation Holy Mother of God(April 7) (if it did not fall on Holy Week) and on Palm Sunday (the week before Easter) it is allowed to eat fish. On Lazarus Saturday (before Palm Sunday) you can eat fish caviar.

It starts on Monday on the 57th day after Easter (one week after Trinity), and always ends on July 11 (inclusive). In 2016, it lasts 15 days.

On Petrov fast on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, fish is allowed, on Monday - hot food without oil, and on Wednesday and Friday - dry eating.

On the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist (July 7), you can eat fish (regardless of what day it falls on).

During the Dormition Fast on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, dry food is allowed, on Tuesday and Thursday - hot food without oil, on Saturday and Sunday - hot food with oil.

On the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19), you can eat fish (regardless of what day it falls on).

In the period from November 28 to the feast of St. Nicholas (December 19 inclusive), hot food without oil is allowed on Monday, fish is allowed on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, dry food is allowed on Wednesday and Friday.

From December 20 to January 1 on Tuesday and Thursday it is already forbidden to eat fish, instead hot food with butter is allowed. The rest of the days remain unchanged.

From January 2 to 6, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, dry food is prescribed, on Tuesday and Thursday - hot food without oil, on Saturday and Sunday - hot food with oil.

On Christmas Eve (January 6) one should not eat until the first star appears in the sky, after which it is customary to eat juicy - wheat grains boiled in honey or boiled rice with raisins.

On the holidays of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple (December 4) and St. Nicholas (December 19), fish can be eaten on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

POST- this is an ancient Slovenian abbreviation, spelled P - full O - cleansing C- own T-bodies b - co-creator, i.e. the fasting system is designed to cleanse the bodies (chakras) in order to rebuild the body from one type of food to another. It all depends on the climatic seasons. Every Summer we have 5 posts. Fasting is not like that of the Christian church, they have 40 days there, and before that, as people say, they fill up from the belly, so that later they starve for 40 days. We usually have 1-2 Slavic weeks - Slavic fast.

HOLY POST. It only lasts one week, i.e. 9 days - one Slavic week in the month of Ramhat from 23 days to Ramhat 31 days. (In Summer 7522 - from 10/15/13 to 10/23/13)

During this period of time Orthodox Old Believers it is not advisable to eat meat, fish, fatty protein (eggs, butter, milk) and spicy foods. Not desirable. What is desirable? These days, Old Believers eat vegetables, fruits, berries, grains and legumes for food these days, in the morning and in the evening, and water, juices and herbal teas in the afternoon: currant leaf, raspberry leaf, mint, thyme, chamomile. This is due to the preparation of the body for the transition to early - canned food, i.e. we have it in autumn. Lightly salted cucumbers, tomatoes, etc., and in order to prepare the body for such early - canned food, we must cleanse it so that it works normally for us.

DAZHDBOZHIY POST- 18 days, two full Slavic weeks in the month of Beylet from day 1 to Beylet 18 days. (VLѣto 7522 - from 12/13/13 to 12/30/13)

During this period of time, Old Believers prepare themselves from early canned food to fully canned food (salting, smoking, etc.). During this fast, the Old Believers do not eat meat, fatty fish, eggs, White bread, fatty dairy products (cream, sour cream) and butter. Any vegetable oil can be consumed - not only sunflower oil, linseed oil, hemp, mustard oil, etc. You can eat from bread products - gray bread, as it is still called now, fruitful bread, and rye bread. Especially, baked from midnight dough, i.e. they wind it up in the evening, it stands at night, and they bake it in the morning. They also use sprouted grains, and breads made from sprouted grains. The rest of the food is eaten in the same way as in Holy Lent.
To improve metabolism during the day, it is recommended to eat sour, sauerkraut or buckwheat porridge.

CLEAN POST- 18 days, two full Slavic weeks in the month of Galet from 23 days, to Galet 40 days. (In Summer 7522 - from 14.02.14 to 03.03.14)

During this period of time, the Old Believers are not recommended to eat meat, fatty, sour, sour, as well as eggs. Any animal and vegetable oil in a Clean Fast is prohibited for consumption. You can - low-fat fish, except for fried, steamed cereals, pasta (homemade noodles from unleavened dough), gray and rye bread, nuts, berries, juices, herbal teas, and legumes in small quantities.

In the second week of Clean Lent, fresh plant foods are gradually introduced - green onions, radishes, etc.

Many steamed porridges were made in the form of kutya, i.e. not in the sense that raisins were added there or kish-mish, but in the sense that they were seasoned with honey, as an additive, after it was completely cooked. Honey is very strong. energy system. And it is added instead of sugar. Many are now preparing a funeral kutya: rice, raisins and sugar. And in Russia they never put sugar, but always used: rice, dried grapes - raisins, and honey.

How did our Ancestors make pasta? They made low-fat dough, rolled it into sheets and cut it into noodles, dried it on a towel - this is how pasta turned out, I mean homemade noodles from unleavened dough.

GREAT LENT- three for ten days, one and a half Slavic weeks (13 days) goes in the month of Daylet from 23 days to Daylet 35 days. (In Summer 7522 - from 03/27/14 to 04/07/14)

It is not great because it is long, like among Christians. In oil week they should eat from the belly, and then starve. Great Lent because these days all the Great Gods and Ancestors are revered. Why? Remember the triangles (Fig. 3): food, air, mind and vice versa? When during Great Lent a person thinks more about the Gods and Ancestors, and since you think about them more, you get more strength from them, which compensates for food for a person. As yogis would say: A person switches to prana nutrition, limiting himself to earthly food, you get more heavenly food, i.e. energy, which is necessary for awakening your body after the time of mara, i.e. after winter.

During this period, it is not permissible to eat fatty meat (except for chicken, quail and rabbit meat), fatty fish, butter other than vegetable, dairy products - cream, sour cream - these concepts are in our understanding, and not what is now called sour cream - it is not is an. The cream should be dense and thick, and the sour cream should be cut with a knife - such were the Slavic products. Now such sour cream is called - village sour cream. And now what is sold in stores as cream is ordinary milk. Everything else lean can be eaten.

During Great Lent, it is recommended to include pine nuts and walnuts in the daily diet, because they not only cleanse the esophagus and intestines, but also give a person powerful natural strength.
Black seeds are generally forbidden to use. Previously, if the seeds clicked, then gray striped. White gourds. The melons clicked.
Back in Lent, pumpkin porridge was often cooked. And add millet.

LIGHT POST- 18 days, two full Slavic weeks. It goes with us in the month of Veil from the 32nd day, to Heilet on the 8th day. (In Summer 7522 - from 06/24/14 to 07/11/14)

During this period of time, it is permissible to consume only vegetable food only in the morning at sunrise and in the evening, when the sun goes down. On the Holy Day of God Kupala, which coincides with the Lent of Light, you can eat fish and meat of any fat content, but it must be cooked on Living Fire. And the fire on which they cook must be ignited from the Living Fire. Or they set it on fire at the feast, from a shining sword, and the meat is cooked. But before, meat was cooked on a spit, now - kebabs, or they did it on forgings - this is fire, and on top, like a forged iron platform with pimples, and the fire passes, but now instead of forgings they make it on grills - pieces of meat are well fried.

ONE DAY POST- every seventh day of the 9-day Slavic week. According to the commandment of Svarog, read (as a weekend) three days a week: the 3rd, 7th and 9th. On this day, it is recommended to refrain from eating at all. Exceptions are juices, water, compotes without berries, herbal teas and jelly. From this form of a one-day fast, fasting days appeared, so that the body was unloaded - not slagged, but cleansed.

“We are not free to control what comes out of us, but we are free to control and manage what enters us ...”

Folk wisdom.

Holy POST. From 23 to 31 days of Ramhat (from 14.10 (from 18:00) to 23.10 (until 18:00) incl.)
It lasts nine days, one Slavic Week, from 23 to 31 days of Ramhat. During this period of time, the Orthodox Old Believers - Ynglings are not allowed to eat meat, fish, fatty protein (eggs, butter, milk) and spicy food. For food these days, Old Believers need to eat vegetables, fruits, berries, grains and legumes in the morning and evening, and water, juices, herbal teas during the day. This is due to the preparation of the body for the transition to early canned food.

Dazhdbozhy POST. From 1 to 18 days of Beylet (from 12.12 (from 18:00) to 30.12 (until 18:00) incl.)
It lasts eighteen days, two Slavic Weeks, from the 1st to the 18th day of Beylet. During this period of time, we prepare ourselves for the transition from early canned food to fully canned food (salting, smoking, etc.). During Lent, it is not permissible to eat meat, fatty fish, eggs, white bread, fatty dairy products (cream, sour cream) and butter (vegetable oil can be consumed). You can eat from bread products, especially baked ones. The rest of the products are eaten in the same way as in Holy Lent. To improve metabolism during the day, it is recommended to eat sour cabbage or buckwheat porridge.

Pure POST. From 23rd to 40th day Gaylet (from 13.02 (from 18:00) to 02.03 (until 18:00) on)
It lasts eighteen days, two Slavic Weeks, from the 23rd to the 40th day of Geilet. During this period, it is not permissible to eat meat, fatty, sour (sour) food, as well as eggs. Any animal and vegetable oil is prohibited!!! You can eat low-fat fish (except fried), steamed cereals, pasta, nuts, berries, juices, herbal teas and legumes in small quantities. In the second week, fresh plant foods (green onions, radishes, etc.) are gradually introduced.

Great POST. From 23rd to 35th day of Daylet (from 25.03 (from 18:00) to 06.04 (until 18:00) incl. )
It lasts thirteen days, one and a half Slavic Weeks, from the 23rd to the 35th day of the Daylet. During this period, it is unacceptable to eat fatty meat foods (except chicken and rabbit meat), fatty fish, butter (except vegetable), dairy products (cream, sour cream). Everything else, lean, can be eaten.

Light POST. From Day 33 of Weileth to Day 9 of Heilet (from 24.06 (from 18:00) to 11.07 (until 18:00) incl.)
It lasts eighteen days, two Slavic Weeks, from the 33rd day of Veil to the 9th day of Heilet. During this period, only in the morning and in the evening, only vegetable food. On the Holy Day of God Kupala, which coincides with the Light Lent, you can eat meat of any fat content, but it must be cooked on Living Fire (a fire lit from the extracted Living Fire).

One day POST
Every seventh day of the week (nine-day week), according to the Commandment: "Read the three days of the week - the third, seventh and ninth ...", on this day it is recommended to refrain from eating at all, with the exception of juices, water, compotes without berries, herbal teas and kissel (if a one-day FAST coincides with a holiday, then on this day we do not fast, but observe a holiday).

Children under 12 years of age, pregnant and nursing mothers, old men and old women over 60 years old, soldiers on guard duty, as well as the wounded and sick do not observe Lent, as they need to eat to gain additional strength and health.

Guslitsky Old Believers are considered harsh people with a tough temper. It was these, the most irreconcilable, who were exiled to these places under Tsar Ivan III. They live, spending days and nights in labor, fasting and prayers. They call themselves true Orthodox, cross themselves with two fingers. Correspondents of "MK" decided to find out how the Great Lent of the Old Believers differs from ours, the new faith.

They don't say "thank you" in Shuvoy. Only "save Christ" and "thank you". Otherwise, the letter flies away from God (thank you - God save).

Taste cabbage soup with porcini mushrooms, - asks pensioner Vera Goryacheva. - And also at risk with dried fruits, cranberry jelly.

Vera Georgievna cannot imagine how one can not fast.

What's the point then? The Lord has given commandments to be followed as instructions.

Maxim is a young man, he helps the priest in the service and brings up his children in the Old Believer faith. He is called a ustavshchik, because he monitors the observance of the church charter. His wife Tatyana has her hair tied up in a povoinik, which she never takes off.

I always put on a church sundress to the temple - festive clothes to the toes with a white blouse, - says Tatyana. - And I also take with me ladders - the Old Believer rosary. All women in Shuvoi weave them, decorating them with beads.

The Old Believer fast is much stricter than the fast of the New Believers. v - Among the Nikonians, that is, with you, only the first and last weeks are strict, and on all the rest you can break the fast, - Father Alexei shakes his head reproachfully. - And here, if you give a little indulgence, consider that the post is gone.

The Old Believers do not eat rabbit meat, horse meat, bear meat. "These animals are unclean," Father Aleksey explains. "We use only scaly fish for food. An eel, for example, is like a snake. And a snake is a devil, a tempter."

My father doesn't have a TV in the house. He believes that it is better to listen to the news on the radio. And from the blue screen they often demonstrate obscenities. The rest of the residents have TVs covered with tablecloths during Lent - they are not turned on until Easter anyway.

I only allow communion to those who observed all 4 fasts of the year and abstained from fast food on Wednesdays and Fridays, - says the priest. - At confession, I warn that if at least one sin is hidden, then the Lord will not forgive him even those sins in which he repented.

I follow my father to church. On the threshold, he hesitates: whether to let us in. For him, although we are Orthodox, but new believers are the same as atheists. The wooden church strikes with its severity and modesty. There is no usual gilding, but all the icons are old. Instead of chandeliers with bulbs - lamps with lamps. Jesus Christ in the altar blesses with two fingers. The service for the Old Believers lasts 5-6 hours, for the New Believers it is almost halved. Parishioners keep their folded hands on their chests, cross themselves and bow at the same time, and not as anyone pleases.

The church does not sell either gold or silver crosses - only copper ones. After all, the Old Believers are modest, like the Lord. But women wear rounded crosses, while men wear ordinary ones. Here is such a tradition. There are only 10 million Old Believers around the world. But they truly believe. In any case, they almost convinced the MK correspondents of this.