Society

17 August, 2025 / 00:20

/ 2 days ago

Orthodox Christians start Dormition Fast

The day of August 14 marks the beginning of the Dormition Fast for Orthodox Christians who follow the old calendar, also known as the Fast of the Holy Mary or Saint Mary's Fast. Over the two-week period, the faithful prepare through prayer, fasting and good deeds for one of the most significant feasts of this period, the Dormition of Mother of God (August 28, old calendar).

This fast is considered one of the strictest in the Orthodox calendar, observed according to the rules of the Great Lent. There is a dispensation for oil and wine only on Saturdays and Sundays and fish is allowed only on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

The Dormition Fast, the newest of the four major fasts of the year, was standardized throughout the Orthodox Church as late as in the 12th century, at the Local Synod of Constantinople in 1166.

Tradition recalls that Mother of God herself spent her last days in fasting and prayer, giving the believers an example of spiritual preparation.

In many parishes, during this period, the Parakleses of Mother of God are read daily and priests urge the faithful not only to practice dietary restraint, but also to seek reconciliation, charity and spiritual cleansing.

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