Great Lent on Palm Sunday requires special attention, explanations are given by the clergy. When can you eat fish and seafood in Lent

According to the church charter, during the period of fasting, people exclude any entertainment, carnal pleasures, indulge in prayers and become spiritually cleansed. In addition, it is also necessary to abandon animal products and food without oil in favor of simple and necessarily lean food: vegetables, pasta, legumes, greens. But is it possible to eat fish if you are fasting, and if so, on what days is it allowed?

What are posts and what are they?

Russian Orthodox Church determined the days of fasting back in 1166, and in total there are 200 days a year. All posts are divided into one-day and long. The last four are:

• Petrovsky;
• Uspensky;
• Christmas;
• Great.

As for the one-day ones, their true Christians observe on Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as on some holidays, for example, on Epiphany Christmas Eve.

petrovsky post

Also called Apostolic, it follows the Holy Trinity, starting exactly one week after it. These days you can eat fish only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and weekends. At the same time, you need to properly prepare fish dishes: boil, bake, stew and even fry in vegetable oil.

Uspensky

During the days of this fast, you can eat fish only once, namely on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord - August 19. The fast itself lasts from August 14 to 27, and Christians are prohibited from animal products these days. The fast does not last long, so there are no particular difficulties with its observance.

Christmas

It always begins on November 28 and lasts for forty days, that is, until January 6 - before the holiday called Christmas Eve. Fasting is less strict than the previous two, and the use of fish, vegetable oil and wine is allowed on Saturdays and Sundays.

great post

It is the strictest, but on some days it is still allowed to eat fish and even caviar. In 2018, this post began on February 19 and will continue until April 7. It consists of four periods:

• The first 40 days are called Forty Days.
• Lazarus Saturday (in 2018 falls on March 31).
• Palm Sunday - the week before Easter.
• Holy Week is the final 6 days of fasting until Easter.

So, on which of these days they eat fish and seafood during Lent, is caviar allowed and how to cook all these non-lean foods.

Annunciation Holy Mother of God and Palm Sunday are great holidays established by the church. These days, fish can be consumed by all Christians during Lent. There are always exactly 9 months between the Annunciation and Christmas, and Palm Sunday falls on the sixth week of Lent. You can eat fish caviar and fish on the Great and on one more day - on Lazarus Saturday. On all other days, fish in the post before Easter is prohibited in any form!

Remember what days they eat fish in fasting, and stick to these rules. Remember that this is not just a period of abstinence from food, but a way to purify the soul and strengthen faith in the Lord. At the same time, fasting should not be harmful to health, so if you feel weak and feel worse, you are allowed to make some indulgences these days. Next year you will be better prepared and you will surely be able to fast according to all church canons.

What kind of fish is allowed in fasting?

We found out that fasting fish is still allowed on certain days, but it must be chosen and cooked correctly. Refuse expensive species, and buy white low-fat varieties of fish and seafood: pollock, cod, capelin, hake. Even canned fish suitable for making soups or vegetable salads. For example, you can make a salad with tuna and tomatoes.

It is recommended to abandon frying fish in favor of other cooking methods. Can be boiled or stewed without oil. Also refrain from ready-made sauces, dressings and seasonings so that the fish in the post retains the most natural taste.

Seafood in fasting - allowed or not?

How many times a fast you can eat fish is now clear, but whether seafood, such as shrimp, mussels or squid, is allowed. All of them are allowed, as is fish caviar, if only the fasting person is forced to use them to replenish balance and vitality. The Church welcomes the initiative of Christians who, for health reasons, replace meat, butter and eggs with seafood. They contain important iodine for the body, fatty acid and other useful substances.

During the period of fasting, true Christians deny themselves many weaknesses. Orthodox must exclude carnal pleasures, any kind of entertainment, constantly indulge in prayers and repent, purifying themselves spiritually. In addition, believers adhere to a strict menu, do not allow themselves anything extra. Thus, the purification of the physical body, the overcoming of addictions and the observance of church requirements are performed. This is how it has been going on for ages.

The diet is mainly dominated by lean and simple food, consisting of vegetables, legumes, pasta, greens. But on certain days, fish is allowed in fasting. Few know about it. Let's see what days you can pamper your stomach with this product.

When can you eat fish in fasting?

It should be noted that even during the period of Great Lent, certain days have been established that allow fish products to be included in the menu. These include Palm Sunday, and on Lazarus Saturday caviar is allowed. During the Assumption Fast, it is allowed to eat fish on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, during the Christmas and Peter's fasts - on Saturday and Sunday. Such a relaxation (or even refusal of fasting) is also permissible for people engaged in active physical and mental stress, as well as pregnant, lactating women, young children, the elderly and patients with gastrointestinal disorders.

Refraining from drinking and certain foods expresses the complete repentance and humility of the laity. Lent is considered the strictest and longest. Within 48 days, the believer tempers willpower, character and religious feeling.

During the centuries-old history of the existence of mankind, many tasty, healthy and varied dishes have been invented. Fish in fasting can completely replace meat delicacies. If you show a little imagination, approach the cooking process creatively, you will see that you can easily abandon culinary stereotypes and eat according to religious canons without compromising health.

It is advisable to use low-fat varieties of aquatic life. For these purposes, pike perch, pollock, hake, flounder, capelin, crucian carp are perfect. Undoubtedly, it is also very useful for the body and brain activity, but not everyone can afford to buy salmon or trout. This is not a reason to refuse a tasty dish. Natural canned fish is quite suitable - pink salmon, sockeye salmon, salmon. This delicacy makes amazing soups and salads. If you are already salivating, then we suggest moving on to interesting options cooking.

Nutritious and delicious fish recipes

You need to eat right not only on religious holidays, but throughout your entire conscious life. By replacing red meat with seafood and vertebrates that live in a river, lake or ocean, you will become much healthier. The lenten fish dishes presented in today's article will delight the whole family at a modest evening meal.

Cod in the marinade

We will use the fillet of low-calorie and low-fat fish - cod. If you wish, you can replace it with any other type, such as hake or blue whiting. Taste will remain high level. So what will we need:

Kilogram carcass of fish;

parsley root;

A bunch of dill;

onion head;

large carrots;

2 medium tomatoes (fresh)

A pinch of salt and sugar.

In our case, both frozen and fresh carcasses are suitable. Rinse, gut, separate from bones and skins. Cut the pulp into small pieces, put on the bottom of the pan and pour cold water. For spice, throw in peppercorns.

We set a strong fire, wait for it to boil and boil for 15 minutes. Put the finished fillet on a plate with a slotted spoon, and cook from the broth delicious marinade. Chop the onion in half rings, parsley root with carrots must be grated. Lightly fry all vegetables in vegetable oil.

After a couple of minutes, pour in the broth, put the chopped tomatoes (separated from the skin), chopped dill and the desired spices. Simmer the mass for about 5-10 minutes. Pour cod with fragrant marinade, cool and enjoy! But remember: only on strictly fixed dates you can eat fish in fasting.

Baked pink salmon with vegetables

Introduce you to the festive, beautiful and extremely delicious dish which is perfect even for a solemn event. In the recipe, the proportions of the products are not so important as their quality. Cook for the desired number of family members or guests. Required components:

Frozen pink salmon;

Onions, carrots;

fresh tomatoes;

Sunflower oil;

Greens to your taste.

To prevent the fillet from getting dry, we advise you not to completely defrost the carcass. Remove the head, fins, large bones, entrails (if any) and cut into portioned pieces, do not remove the skin. Lay the salmon skin side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. It is advisable to add a little salt and pepper. Let's leave her to "rest" for a while.

We chop the onion in half rings and save. Grate the carrots, remove the peel from the tomato and chop into cubes. Then fry separately. We proceed to the final stage: we put onion on each piece of fish fillet, on top of it - carrots with tomatoes. Sprinkle with lemon juice. We wrap the edges of the foil, bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees. A minute before turning off the oven, open the foil slightly to brown the vegetables.

In fasting - an excellent meal, characterized by high nutritional value and benefits. Serve hot with rice or mashed potatoes. Be sure to put on the table and fresh vegetables.

with tomato sauce

Light, low-calorie and, most importantly, lean food, which is quickly prepared from inexpensive ingredients, which is also important. Fish is allowed on fasting without the use of dairy products such as cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise. Component set:

A kilogram of pollock (frozen);

20 g flour;

Spices: black pepper, garlic salt, dry dill.

Ingredients for tomato sauce: ½ cup tomato paste (choose no preservatives), two onions, a clove of garlic, 200 ml filtered water, flour (15 g), pepper, salt.

First, make a homemade marinade: finely chop onion, throw into hot oil, sauté until golden brown. Next add tomato paste, chopped garlic, indicated seasonings and flour. Pour water into the mixture, stir until thickened, about 10 minutes. Let the sauce cool down.

For now, let's take pollock. Cut into small pieces, sprinkle with salt, pepper on both sides, roll in flour or semolina. It needs to be fried or baked. Pour the finished fillet tomato sauce, refrigerate for about three hours. Sprinkle with dill.

Fish cutlets (lean)

Hake pulp (kilogram);

Two hundred grams of black bread;

Three cloves of garlic;

Breadcrumbs or semolina for deboning;

Seasonings, greens at your discretion.

Break bread without crusts with your hands, pour over warm water to soften. Skip the hake, onion, garlic and bread crumb through a meat grinder or blender (pre-squeeze). Add chopped greens, seasonings to minced meat. You can use seasonings, which include coriander, black pepper, tomatoes, paprika.

If the stuffing is too liquid, add semolina. Knead the fish mass, form oval cutlets, roll in breadcrumbs and fry. Or cook in a slow cooker, it will be much more useful. It remains to come up with a suitable side dish. Absolutely everyone, including small children, will like such a fish in a post.

Meatballs for a quick hand

Do not have extra time, and want to cook something original, spicy and light for dinner? Use the following recipe. The whole process will not take you more than half an hour. You will need:

Canned fish (saury or tuna) - arbitrary quantity;

A piece of rye flour bun;

Garlic, onion and dill;

Semolina.

Thoroughly mash the canned fish with a fork, mix with the indicated ingredients. Season with salt and semolina. You can use grated potatoes (raw). Drain the minced meat with a tablespoon, put all the meatballs in a mold, bake for 10 minutes. For juiciness, add ready meal tomato sauce.

We hope that you will be pleasantly surprised by a hearty and tasty Lenten menu. Recipes are available to everyone and do not require special culinary talents. Finally, we describe a no less original version of cooking in the oven.

Fish and vegetable casserole

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 3 pcs.;

Low-fat carcass of fish, or rather fillet (kilogram);

Assorted vegetables: zucchini, bell pepper, carrots, broccoli, garlic, cilantro.

Peel potatoes, cut into thin slices, place on a baking sheet (brush with oil). The next layer will be fillet cut into strips. We cover with a vegetable coat. Cut all vegetables into cubes, stew. Salt each layer. Put in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

Now you know what kind of fish you can fast. Remember one thing: dietary restriction is no less important than spiritual cleansing and deep faith.

Palm Sunday - Orthodox holiday, which is celebrated a week before the Bright Resurrection of Christ. In 2018, Palm Sunday falls on April 1st.

Palm Sunday 2018: what date is it?

Every year Palm Sunday falls on different numbers and is celebrated on the sixth Sunday of Lent. The last Holy Week of Lent preceding Easter begins on Palm Sunday. Since Easter falls on April 8 in 2018, Palm Sunday falls on April 1 this year.

Palm Sunday: the history of the holiday

The holiday has several names - the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday and Palm Sunday.

According to legend, in 30 AD, Jesus rode into intkkihs donkey to Jerusalem as a king, which is described in detail in all four Gospels. Kings and victors, according to ancient Jewish custom, entered the Holy City on horses or donkeys, and the people of their rulers met with greetings and palm branches.

Jesus, in fulfillment of prophecy Old Testament, also solemnly entered Jerusalem on a young donkey, and people greeted the Savior with exclamations of "Hosanna!", as they usually addressed only the king, and strewn his path with palm branches, which the ancient Jews considered a sacred plant. According to legend, it was palm branches that transferred magical power to the earth and, mainly, influenced fertility.

In Russia, the day of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem has been celebrated since the 10th century and is called Palm Sunday. Since the palm tree is southern and does not grow everywhere, Christians replaced palm branches with branches of willow, willow, boxwood or other trees that bloom in early spring.

Customs and traditions on Palm Sunday: what to do with last year's consecrated willow

The main symbol of the holiday is willow twigs, which believers bring into the house on the eve of the holiday on Saturday evening, and on Sunday morning the plants are lit in the church. It is believed that after that they become magical and protect from evil spirits.

Usually, willow branches are stored for a year - until fresh ones are put in their place. They are placed next to the icons. When the willows are going to be changed, the old ones must be burned. Most importantly, willow twigs should not be thrown away: this foreshadowed poverty and disease.

Do's and Don'ts

On this serious church holiday, you can’t do anything around the house, pick up knitting needles, a needle, wash, clean, repair anything, work in the garden. It was believed that on this day it is impossible to comb, because luck can go away from this. The main task of this day was moral preparation for last week Great post. After Holy Week comes the long-awaited Easter.

For the reason that this is an important church holiday, then, accordingly, it must be spent rejoicing. On this day, the Orthodox visit the temple, where they pray for the health of all their loved ones. You can go to the cemetery and honor the memory of departed relatives, but you can’t categorically clean up the cemetery. To do this, you can use any other day of Lent, which will not be a holiday.

What can you eat

On Palm Sunday, you can make some indulgences in a strict fasting diet: you can even eat fish and drink some wine. In the old days in Russia, to celebrate Palm Sunday, they baked buckwheat pancakes, boiled mash and prepared fish pies.

In addition to this, there was interesting custom bake holiday bread - as many pieces as there are people in the family. A coin was hidden in one of the loaves, and the one who got this treat with a surprise was literally doomed to happiness, health and good luck for 12 months.

Signs and customs on Palm Sunday

If it is warm and dry on Palm Sunday, there will be a large harvest of fruits in the summer. The wind blows - wait for the cold summer. Frost hit - the year will bring a lot of wheat. The number of blooming earrings also served as an indicator of the future harvest.

The consecrated willow branches were placed at the head of the sick, applied to sore spots, touched people with them, wishing them health, and whipped children so that they would grow up healthy. Crushed dried willow buds were added to various medicinal decoctions, which were used to treat skin diseases and wounds. Sometimes the kidneys were added to bread or other baked goods. They also baked bread in the form of a willow branch or cooked porridge from the opening willow buds.

In ancient times, in order to increase their wealth, a flower was planted on Palm Sunday or transplanted houseplants. The flower was looked after carefully and protected, as they believed that if it withered, serious financial losses were expected.

By the beginning of the sowing season, willow branches were stuck into the ground on the field. In the old days, they believed that this rite contributes to a rich harvest, and saves it from adversity.

It was also believed that the willow could protect the house from the elements. So, for example, in a house in which there is a consecrated willow, lightning will not fall. If a willow is thrown into the fire during a fire, it will go out faster, and the flame will not go to another building. And the branches thrown into the water during the ice drift will help to avoid large floods.

According to the religious concept, fasting is a period of spiritual purification of a person. In order to better tune in to prayer, to your inner world, you need to adhere to a certain diet - give up food of animal origin or, as vegetarians say, give up food that has eyes and a mouth (including the food that they produce, for example: cow and milk).

AT Soviet times a version was invented, according to which, fasting was invented to save food.

In contrast to these versions, I will say the following:

There was no famine during the adoption of Christianity. I'm not talking about enemy raids and the like. There was a lot of food, there were plenty of fish in the rivers, animals in the forests and fields, berries, mushrooms, etc. Not to mention the fact that the lands of our ancestors of the Slavs were very fat, the harvest was rich. Yes, in order to feed yourself and your family, you had to work hard, but this does not mean that people were in danger of starvation and that food had to be saved in order to survive.

Christianity took root among the Slavs only because it very organically fell on the pagan religion - certain traditions were preserved, people did not have to radically change their lives. We know very little about the religion of our ancestors. official history presents it to us as a rather primitive religion, which is contrary to reality. There is an opinion that our ancestors, the Slavs, even before the adoption of Christianity, practiced fasting as a way to cleanse the body - both spiritual and physical. The schedule of posts has a clear link to certain phenomena in nature and is the most optimal for the time of year.

That is why, at the time of fasting, you need to give up certain foods, including fish.

But for each post there is a certain diet.

• In Great Lent, Pre-Easter, fish can be eaten 1-2 times for all 48-49 days.
• In other posts, they are not so strict, you can eat fish more often.

The method of its preparation in this case does not play a role. There are special church calendars, in which it is clearly written what food can be eaten on which day of fasting.

In Great Lent, if you look at the food calendar for this time, you can’t eat fish. Unlike other multi-day posts, here the ban will be quite serious. There are only three days on which three holidays fall, when concessions are allowed.

Of the special days when you can eat fish in Lent 2017, April 7, as well as April 8 and 9, should be noted. It is these dates that are not always allocated for the period of fasting. If April 7 is the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, has a fixed date and will always be an exception, then Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday depend on the actual date of Easter.

If you go to the temple for a festive service on any of these days, and you must do this, then you should listen to the sermons of the priests. Quite often they boil down to the fact that modern man great importance attaches to the rituals in church holidays, but overlooks the meaning and religious significance. Therefore, it is not so important on the day of the Annunciation, Lazarus Saturday or Palm Sunday to lay a chic fish table and eat, how important it is to go to the temple, pray, confess and take communion. A festive meal is already an addition that takes place only after the main and more significant, spiritually valuable rituals.

Annunciation: baked carp

Every year this day falls during Lent, but for a different period. Although the feast of the good news itself, the holy conception of Jesus Christ in the womb of the Virgin Mary, is the feast of Christmas, for this reason its date is permanent. You can safely put all kinds of fish dishes on the table on this day. In Russia, every housewife prepared especially carefully for the feast of the Annunciation, because it was considered Women's Day. The Mother of God is the intercessor of women before God, asks for a good and happy family life, for the kids. In general, for everything that, according to the old tradition, is considered an important component of women's happiness.

For example, you can apply for festive table on this day baked carp. Carp is an inexpensive fish, but tasty. You can buy it today in the live fish section of any department store, and cook live fish- a real pleasure, it definitely turns out juicy and tasty. Peeled and gutted carp are recommended to be baked whole, stuffed with onions and herbs, sprinkled with plenty of spices on top. The secret to a crispy crust is to place the fish on a baking sheet when vegetable oil it's already warm enough. Of course, this is only one of the options for a fish dish for the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin and each hostess may have her own options here.

Lazarus Saturday: caviar sandwiches

Not exactly a fish, but still a fasting day of exception is this Saturday, which depends on the date of Easter directly and in 2017 falls on April 8th. According to church canons, on Lazarus Saturday, you can eat fish caviar. It can be red or black caviar, expensive delicacies or cheaper caviar of capelin, pollock. Some people also extend this relaxation of fasting to seafood. Here controversial issue in which the clergy have not yet come to a consensus.

Some priests believe that there is nothing wrong with serving not only caviar, but also other seafood on the Lazarus Saturday. It’s just that when the tradition of fasting was formed in Russia, there were no seafood, but caviar was always there. Other priests emphasize that caviar on the Saturday of Lazarus is not just a product, but a nominal symbol of the cycle of life. It is clear that a shrimp or a mussel is definitely not such a symbol.

Interesting! Caviar is a symbol of the cycle of life on this day for a reason. The fact is that more than two thousand years ago, it was on this Saturday on the eve of Easter that Jesus Christ resurrected in front of the disciples and ordinary people Lazarus, who had already been dead for four days.

Palm Sunday: fish pies

As for the feast of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem, it is a big one and definitely an exception to the Lenten menu. You can eat fish and seafood in completely different variations, as the hostess wants. Solemn services are held in temples in honor of this day, after which willow branches are consecrated. It must be remembered that Palm Sunday is celebrated in the family circle, without noise and unnecessary entertainment. Because, you still need to keep Lent.

Among the most common fish dishes, which were prepared in Russia in honor of this Sunday, fish pies or pies can be noted. You need to cook them only on the basis of lean dough (without eggs, milk and other dairy products). But with the right approach to choosing the filling and additional ingredients for the filling, fish pies are hearty and tasty. You should not make too many fish dishes on Palm Sunday, because the strict Holy Week begins on Monday. During this period and until Easter itself, if possible, you need to eat less, try to observe strict fasting, and some days stay only on water and black bread.

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