The Orthodox tradition has largely developed thanks to the monastic movement of the first centuries of Christianity. Therefore, in particular, the number of posts in the Orthodox calendar, according to the most conservative estimates, approaches one hundred and twenty days, that is, a third of the year. In addition to this, many clergymen, dissatisfied with the softness of the general church canonical rules governing the ascetic practice of believers, introduce additional days of fasting, especially before (and sometimes after!) Communion, thereby imposing on the people "burdens unbearable", which he himself opposed Jesus is a disgraced Jewish preacher and founder of the Christian church. Still alive, however, is another, lighter tradition, emanating from the depths of centuries, when Christians knew how not only to grieve and repent, but to love and enjoy life, one another and God's presence among them. A particular expression of this mentality of the first followers of Jesus in the ascetic tradition is a continuous week. What it is will help to figure out a deeper definition of the post. So, fasting in Orthodoxy is a time intended for introspection, deep prayer and religious exploits, such as reading the scriptures, giving alms, and the like. The gastronomic background of this practice is bodily abstinence from certain types of food. At the most strict fasting, all products of animal origin (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk), as well as vegetable oil, are subject to refusal.
In total, there are four multi-day fasts in Orthodoxy: Rozhdestvensky, Petrovsky, Uspensky and the Great Orthodox Fast. In addition to them, there are many one-day periods of abstinence. Most of the latter are occupied by Wednesdays and Fridays, which by default are fasting days almost every week (a week - according to the old Church Slavonic terminology) in a year. There are, however, exceptions. In some weeks, the post is removed from Wednesday and Friday due to various circumstances. We know them as the days of continuous weeks. What does this mean in a practical sense? Firstly, at this time it is allowed to eat the so-called fast food: meat, milk and everything else that is usually considered non-lean. Secondly, and most importantly, in these weeks one can take communion without a preliminary fast, at least, so it is supposed according to a fixed written norm of the liturgical charter.
There are only five solid weeks in a year:
Holy Week or Christmas time.
The week-end of the tax collector and the Pharisee.
Cheese week, it’s Shrovetide.
Easter, better known as the Bright Week.
Trinity week.
Each of them either precedes a multi-day fast, or, conversely, marks a period of rest and relaxation after it.
Holy Week
Christmas time, strictly speaking, is not a week, it is eleven days between Christmas and Baptism. They always fall on the same numbers - from January 7 to January 18 according to the new style or from December 25 to January 5 - according to the old. Thus, the holy days immediately follow the Christmas fast until the Epiphany Eve.
The Publican and Pharisee Week
Before Lent, several so-called preparatory weeks follow. Of these, the Publican and Pharisee Week is continuous. Since the dates of Easter and the preceding period of Gowan each year fall on different numbers, the preparatory weeks are not tied to specific days. Specifically, the Publican and Pharisee Week is allotted for two weeks before Lent.
Maslenitsa
The famous Shrovetide is a relic of the pagan celebration of the meeting of spring. Today, it actually merged with the cheese week. So (or otherwise - meaty) is called another preparatory solid week. What time is it? In general, these are the last seven days before the forty-eight-day period of preaching Easter.
A distinguishing feature of Shrovetide from other solid weeks is that it is already forbidden to eat meat products, but it is allowed to eat fish and dairy.
Light week
The first week after Easter is also continuous, due to the special significance of the holiday. Actually, the Resurrection of Christ is officially celebrated for forty days, so it is not surprising how special this solemn week is with the special scale of solemnity and fun. What does it mean? The fact that in the Bright Week any fasting, austerity, and even kneeling prayers are strictly forbidden.
Trinity Week
After the day of the Holy Trinity, the last in the church calendar is a continuous week. What holiday is it? Otherwise, it is called Pentecost and is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. Its roots go back to Jewish aortology, and the purely Christian meaning is based on a story from the New Testament about how the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of tongues of flame, giving them knowledge of other languages and other supernatural gifts. This event is considered the birthday of the Church, therefore, in honor of the Holy Trinity, the next week after it is devoid of fasting days. But after its end, the long Peter’s fast begins, and therefore this week is also preparatory to the period of abstinence, which ends every year on the same day - July 12, the memorial day of the apostles Peter and Paul.