Christmas Lent 2024 began today, November 15, and will last 40 days, until December 24, being a period dedicated to spiritual preparation for the celebration of the Nativity.
Christmas Lent. Photo: Archive
This is the first major fasting period of the church year, which begins on September 1, and is considered milder than the Easter fast, having a “medium severity”, according to the priests.
The Christmas fast is a moment of reflection and purification of the soul, with the aim of getting closer to God before the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus. The priests define this period as a time of waiting and silence, similar to the expectation of the ancient people for the coming of the Savior. “Every great celebration is preceded by a period of waiting. Christmas Lent is a period of soul and body cleansing, through participation in services, confession and communion”said Father Vasile Ioana, the parish priest of the “Saint Nicolae Dintr-o Zi” Church in Bucharest, for Digi24.
Food Rules and Abstinence from Pleasures
During the 40 days of fasting, believers are urged to abstain from meat, eggs, cheese, milk and their derivatives. It is a fast of food abstinence, but also a time of restraint from pleasures and habits. The purpose of this period is to help believers to focus more on their spiritual life, to reflect on the meaning of the Nativity and to prepare for receiving the gift of salvation. In addition, fasting is an opportunity to practice almsgiving, and Christians are encouraged to help those in need.
Traditions and Superstitions in Christmas Lent
In popular tradition, there are several customs and superstitions related to the Christmas Fast. For example, immediately after “Drying Out” (the day on which the consumption of sweet foods ends), people place the vessels with which they ate sweet foods upside down to ward off troubles and illnesses. At the same time, at the beginning of Lent, tradition says that housewives in Romanian villages thoroughly clean the dishes and cutlery to prepare them for the period of abstinence.
During the fasting period, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the faithful are called to eat simple dishes, without oil and without wine, according to church rules. Instead, on certain days, there are “dissolutions” of fish, when the faithful can eat this food. These days are considered times of spiritual “relief” or “comfort”.
Days with release to fish
In the 2024 Christmas Lent, there are several fish-free days, including:
- Thursday, November 21 (Our Lady’s Entry into the Temple)
- Saturday, November 23
- Sunday, November 24
- Monday, November 25 (Feast of St. Gregory the Decapolitan)
- Saturday, November 30 (Feast of Saint Andrew)
- Sunday, December 1st
- Tuesday, December 3 (Feast of St. George)
- Thursday, December 5 (Feast of St. Sava)
- Friday, December 6 (Feast of Saint Nicholas)
- Saturday, December 7
- Sunday, December 8
- Thursday, December 12
- Saturday, December 14
- Sunday, December 15
In addition to abstaining from certain foods, Christmas Lent is also a time to cultivate virtues such as kindness, forgiveness and peace of mind. “Man is not only called to be gentle and kind during Lent, but permanently. My exhortation to all believers is to come to church, attend services, confess, share and be good to everyone around them every day”added Father Vasile Ioana.
