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The Nativity Fast, is a period abstinence and penance practiced by the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches, in preparation for the Nativity of Christ, (December 25). The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Advent (from the Latin word la ''adventus'' meaning "coming" is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the Christmastide (also Christmas or the Christmas season) is one of the seasons of the Liturgical year of most Christian churches Epiphany ( Greek for "to manifest" or "to show" is a Christian Feast day which celebrates the "shining forth" or revelation of Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. Easter Triduum, Holy Triduum, or Paschal Triduum is a term used by some Christian churches particularly the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastertide, or the Easter Season, or Paschal Time, is the period of fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday The general and most common understanding of the Christian Doctrine of Ascension holds that Jesus bodily ascended to Heaven in the presence Pentecost (πεντηκοστή, pentekostē, "the fiftieth day" is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian Liturgical year, celebrated the Ordinary Time is a season of the Christian (especially the Catholic) Liturgical calendar In the Christian Liturgical calendar, there are several different feasts known as Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the For depictions in painting and sculpture see Nativity of Jesus in art. Epiphany ( Greek for "to manifest" or "to show" is a Christian Feast day which celebrates the "shining forth" or revelation of Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important Fasting season in the Church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. Pentecost (πεντηκοστή, pentekostē, "the fiftieth day" is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian Liturgical year, celebrated the The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported by the Synoptic Gospels in which Jesus is transfigured upon a mountain (,) The Dormition of the Theotokos ( Greek: Koimesis) is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Oriental Orthodoxy is the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three Ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See For depictions in painting and sculpture see Nativity of Jesus in art. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian [1] The fast is similar to the Western Advent, except that it runs for 40 days instead of four weeks. Advent (from the Latin word la ''adventus'' meaning "coming" is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the The fast is observed from November 15 to December 24, inclusively. Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes
Sometimes the fast is called Philip's Fast (or the Philippian Fast), as it traditionally begins on the day following the Feast of St. Philip the Apostle (November 14). Saint Philip was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Later Christian traditions describe Philip as the apostle who proselytized in Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Some churches have abbreviated the fast to start on December 10, following the Feast of the Conception by Saint Anne of the Most Holy Theotokos. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V The Feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the Roman Catholic Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saint Anne (also Ann or Anna of David's house and line was the mother of the Virgin Mary, according to Christian tradition Theotokos (Θεοτόκος translit Theotókos) is a title of Mary the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox,
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The purpose of fasting
Fasting with humility and repentance is believed to enable one to draw closer to God by denying the body worldly pleasure. Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all Food, Drink, or both for a period of time Humility, or being humble, is the defining characteristic of an unpretentious and modest person someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important Repentance is a change of thought and action to correct a wrong and gain Forgiveness from the one wronged The term "Godhead" The term Godhead is a term denoting deity or divinity Although the fast influences the body, the emphasis is placed on the spiritual facet of the fast rather than physical deprivation. Orthodox theology sees a synthesis between the body and the soul, so what happens to one affects the other. Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective The church teaches that it is not enough to fast from food; one must also fast from anger, greed and covetousness. In addition to fasting, almsgiving is also emphasized. Alms or almsgiving exists in a number of religions In general it involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue [2]
Fasting rules
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the fast traditionally entails fasting from red meat, poultry, meat products, eggs, dairy products, fish, oil, and wine. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world For mammal meat see Red meat. For the band see Red Meat (band. Poultry is the category of Domesticated Birds which some humans keep for the purpose of collecting their eggs, or kill for their Meat and/or Broth is a Liquid in which Bones Meat, Fish, Cereal grains or Vegetables have been simmered and strained out A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal Milk &mdashmostly from goats or cows, but also from buffalo, Sheep Fish, wine and oil are allowed on Saturdays and Sundays, and oil and wine are allowed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The fasting rules permit fish, and/or wine and oil on certain feast days that occur during the course of the fast: Evangelist Matthew (November 16), Apostle Andrew (November 30), Great-martyr Barbara (December 4), St. Nicholas (December 6), St. Spiridon and St. Herman (December 12), St. Ignatius (December 20), etc. The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Matthew the Evangelist (מתי/מתתיהו "Gift of Yahweh " Standard Hebrew and Tiberian Hebrew: Mattay or Mattithyahu Saint Barbara, known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was a Christian Saint and Martyr. Saint Nicholas (Άγιος Νικόλαος, Agios Nikolaos, "victory of the people" is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a Christian Saint The Nativity Fast is not as severe as Great Lent or the Dormition Fast. Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important Fasting season in the Church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians The Dormition of the Theotokos ( Greek: Koimesis) is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and
As is always the case with Orthodox fasting rules, persons who are ill, the very young or elderly, and nursing mothers are exempt from fasting. Each individual is expected to confer with their confessor regarding any exemptions from the fasting rules, but should never place themselves in physical danger. The title confessor is used in the Christian Church in several ways
There has been some ambiguity about the restriction of fish, whether it means the allowance of invertebrate fish or all fish. An invertebrate is an Animal lacking a Vertebral column. The group includes 98% of all animal Species — all animals except those in the Chordate Often, even on days when fish is not allowed, shellfish may be consumed. More detailed guidelines vary by jurisdiction, but the rules strictly state that from the December 20 to December 24 (inclusively), no fish may be eaten. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor.
The Eve of Nativity (December 24) is a strict fast day, called Paramony (lit. Christmas Eve, December 24, is the day before Christmas Day, the celebrated birthday of Jesus. A Fast Day is a day of religious Fasting observed at various periods by different religious groups Jewish Christian and other sometimes with the authority of government "preparation"), on which no solid food should be eaten until the first star is seen in the evening sky (or at the very least, until after the Vesperal Divine Liturgy that day). Vespers is the evening Prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Eastern (Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, liturgies of the The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. If Paramony falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the day is not observed as a strict fast, but a meal with wine and oil is allowed after the Divine Liturgy, which would be celebrated in the morning.
Liturgical aspects
In some places, the services on weekdays during the fast are similar to the services during Great Lent (with some variations). Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important Fasting season in the Church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians Many churches and monasteries in the Russian tradition will perform the Lenten services on at least the first day of the Nativity Fast. See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure Often the hangings in the church will be changed to a somber, Lenten colour. An antependium (Latin "to hang before" pl antependia) more commonly known as a hanging, or when speaking specifically of the hanging
During the course of the fast, a number of feast days celebrate those Old Testament prophets who prophesied the Incarnation; for instance: Obadiah (November 19), Nahum (December 1), Habbakuk (December 2), Zephaniah (December 3), Haggai (December 16), Daniel and the Three Holy Youths (December 17). The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Prophecy, generally describes the disclosing of Information that is not known to the Prophet by any ordinary means The Incarnation is the belief in Christianity that Jesus Christ is the God of Israel in the flesh Obadiah is a Biblical theophorical name meaning " Yahweh 's servant/worshipper Nahum ( Hebrew: נַחוּם Naḥūm) was a Minor prophet whose prophecy is recorded in the Hebrew Bible. Habakkuk or Havakuk ( Hebrew: חֲבַקּוּק, Standard Ḥavaqquq Tiberian Ḥăḇaqqûq {For|the prophetic book|Book of Zephaniah} Zephaniah or Tzfanya ( is the name of several people in the Bible Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh Haggai ( Hebrew: חַגַּי, Ḥaggay or "Hag-i" Greek: Αγγαίος) was one of the twelve Minor prophets Daniel (; Persian: دانيال, Dâniyal or Danial, also Dani, داني; Arabic: دانيال The fiery furnace is a story from the Book of Daniel (chapter 3 in the Tanakh ( Old Testament) These last are significant not only because of their perseverance in fasting, but also because their preservation unharmed in the midst of the fiery furnace is interpreted as being symbolic of the Incarnation—the Virgin Mary conceived God the Word in her womb without being consumed by the fire of the Godhead. The fiery furnace is a story from the Book of Daniel (chapter 3 in the Tanakh ( Old Testament) Incarnation which literally means embodied in flesh, refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature (generally a human who is the grc-Latn Logos (ˈloʊːgɒs ( Greek, logos) is an important term in Philosophy, Analytical psychology, Rhetoric and Religion
As is true of all four of the Orthodox fasts, a Great Feast falls during the course of the fast; in this case, the Entry of the Theotokos (November 21). The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (as it is known in the West or The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple (its name in the East is a Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. After the apodosis (leave-taking) of that feast, hymns of the Nativity are chanted on Sundays and higher-ranking feast days.
Forefeast The liturgical Forefeast of the Nativity begins on December 20, and concludes with the Paramony on December 24. An Afterfeast is a period of celebration attached to one of the Great Feasts celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches (roughly equivalent to Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes During this time hymns of the Nativity are chanted every day. In the Russian usage, the hangings in the church are changed to the festive color (usually white) at the beginning of the Forefeast. See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure An antependium (Latin "to hang before" pl antependia) more commonly known as a hanging, or when speaking specifically of the hanging
Sunday of the Forefathers Two Sundays before Nativity, the Church calls to remembrance the ancestors of Christ according to the flesh, both before the giving of the Law of Moses and after. term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to [3] The Menaion contains a full set of hymns for this day which are chanted in conjunction with the regular Sunday hymns from the Octoechos. The Menaion ( Greek: Μηναίον Slavonic: Минеѧ Minéya, "of the month" refers to the annual fixed cycle of services in The Octoechos ( Greek:; Slavonic: Октонхъ Oktoikh, or Осмогласникъ Osmoglasnik)&mdashliterally the book These hymns commemorate various biblical persons, as well as the prophet Daniel and the Three Young Men. In Religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has encountered the Supernatural or the divine and serves as an intermediary Daniel (; Persian: دانيال, Dâniyal or Danial, also Dani, داني; Arabic: دانيال The fiery furnace is a story from the Book of Daniel (chapter 3 in the Tanakh ( Old Testament) There are also a special Epistle (Colossians 3:4-11) and Gospel (Luke 14:16-24) readings appointed for the Divine Liturgy on this day. An epistle (pronounced) ( Greek επιστολη epistolē "letter" is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of persons usually a letter This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy.
Sunday of the Holy Fathers The Sunday before Nativity is even broader in its scope of commemoration than the previous Sunday, in that it commemorates all of the righteous men and women who pleased God from the creation of the world up to Saint Joseph. Creation according to Genesis refers to the Hebrew narrative of the creation of the heavens and the earth as told in chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis Joseph "of the House of David " ( Hebrew יוֹסֵף also known as Saint Joseph, Joseph the Betrothed, Joseph of Nazareth [3] The Menaion provides an even fuller service for this day than the previous Sunday. At the Vespers portion of the All-Night Vigil three Old Testament "parables" (paroemia) are read: Genesis 14:14-20, Deuteronomy 1:8-17 and Deuteronomy 10:14-21. Vespers is the evening Prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Eastern (Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, liturgies of the For the musical setting by Rachmaninoff, see All-Night Vigil (Rachmaninoff The All-night vigil is a service of the Eastern Orthodox In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. The Epistle which is read at the Divine Liturgy is a selection from Hebrews 11:9-40; the Gospel is the Genealogy of Christ from the Gospel of Matthew (1:1-25)
Paramony Christmas Eve is traditionally called Paramony (Greek: παραμονή, Slavonic: navechérie). The genealogy of Jesus through Joseph is given by two passages from the Gospels, Matthew and Luke. The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel Christmas Eve, December 24, is the day before Christmas Day, the celebrated birthday of Jesus. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Church Slavonic (also Church Slavic, Old Bulgarian) is the Liturgical language of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Macedonian Orthodox Paramony is observed as a strict fast day, on which those faithful who are physically able to, refrain from food until the first star is observed in the evening, when a meal with wine and oil may be taken. On this day the Royal Hours are celebrated in the morning. The Royal Hours are a particularly solemn celebration of the Little Hours in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Some of the hymns are similar to those of Theophany (Epiphany) and Good Friday, thus tying the symbolism of Chris's Nativity to his death on the Cross. Epiphany ( Greek for "to manifest" or "to show" is a Christian Feast day which celebrates the "shining forth" or revelation of Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday ("Pascha" The Royal Hours are followed by the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil which combines Vespers with the Divine Liturgy. The Liturgy of Saint Basil or more formally the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, is a term for several Eastern Christian celebrations of the Divine Vespers is the evening Prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Eastern (Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, liturgies of the The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. During the Vespers, eight Old Testament lections ("parables") which prefigure or prophesy the Incarnation of Christ are read, and special antiphons are chanted. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. A lection is a reading in this context from Scripture The custom of reading the books of Moses in the synagogues on the Sabbath day was a very ancient one in the Jewish Incarnation which literally means embodied in flesh, refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature (generally a human who is the This article is about the musical term See Antiphon (person the orator of ancient Greece If the Feast of the Nativity falls on a Sunday or Monday, the Royal Hours are chanted on the previous Friday, and on the Paramony the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is celebrated in the morning, with its readings and antiphons, and the fasting is lessened to some degree—a meal with wine and oil being served after the Liturgy. The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy.
The All-Night Vigil on the night of December 24 consists of Great Compline, Matins and the First Hour. For the musical setting by Rachmaninoff, see All-Night Vigil (Rachmaninoff The All-night vigil is a service of the Eastern Orthodox Compline (ˈkɒmplɪn also Complin, Night Prayer, Prayers at the End of the Day) is the final church service (or Office) of the day in the Matins (also known as Orthros or Oútrenya in Eastern Churches) is the early morning or night Prayer service in the Roman Catholic Prime, or the First Hour, is a fixed time of prayer of the traditional Divine Office (Canonical Hours said at the first hour of daylight (approximately 600 a One of the highlights of Great Compline is the exultant chanting of "God is with us!" interspersed between selected verses from the prophesy of Isaiah 8:9-18, foretelling the triumph of the Kingdom of God, and 9:2-7, foretelling the birth of the Messiah ("For unto us a child is born. Prophecy, generally describes the disclosing of Information that is not known to the Prophet by any ordinary means Isaiah (; Greek:, Ēsaiās; Arabic: اشعیاء, Ash-ee-yaa; "Salvation of/is YHWH " is This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions . . and he shall be called. . . the Mighty God. . . . "). The Orthodox do not normally serve a Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve; rather, the Divine Liturgy for the Nativity of Christ is celebrated the next morning. The term Midnight Mass or midnight mass can refer to A Church service that happens at midnight A Christmas Eve church However, in those monasteries which continue to celebrate the All-Night Vigil in its long form—where it literally lasts throughout the night—the conclusion of the Vigil at dawn on Christmas morning will often lead directly into the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. When the Vigil is separate from the Divine Liturgy, the Lenten fast continues even after the Vigil, until the end of the Liturgy the next morning.
Fasting during the afterfeast
On December 25, the Afterfeast of the Nativity of Christ begins. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian An Afterfeast is a period of celebration attached to one of the Great Feasts celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches (roughly equivalent to For depictions in painting and sculpture see Nativity of Jesus in art. From that day to January 4 (the day before Theophany Eve) is a fast-free Period. Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. Epiphany ( Greek for "to manifest" or "to show" is a Christian Feast day which celebrates the "shining forth" or revelation of The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world The Eve of the Theophany (January 5) is another strict fast day (paramony). Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France.
Coptic fast
In the Coptic Orthodox Church, an additional fast is observed on the three days before the beginning of the Nativity Fast, to commemorate the miraculous moving of the mountain of Mukattam (which lies within a suburb of Cairo) at the hands of Saint Simon the Tanner in the year 975, during the rule of the Muslim Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz Li-Deenillah. The Copts the Christians of Egypt, who belong mostly to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, observe Fasting History of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria Apostolic foundation Egypt is identified in the Bible as the place of refuge that the Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. Saint Simon the Shoemaker (10th century also known as Simon the Tanner ( Sama'an el-Dabbagh in Arabic is the Coptic Orthodox saint associated with the Events By Place Europe King Edward the Martyr is crowned in England. The Caliph is the Head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah Maˤād al-Muˤizz li Dīn Allāh (932&ndash975 (معاذ المعز لدين الله also known as al'Moezz, was the fourth Fatimid Caliph and
Armenian fast
Uniquely, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates Nativity on January 6. The Armenian Apostolic Church (Հայաստանեայց Առաքելական Եկեղեցի Hayasdaneaytz Arakelagan Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King Their Fast of Advent begins on November 19. Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land They then observe a Fast of the Nativity for one week prior to the Feast of the Nativity on January 6 (see Armenian Caldendar of Saints). Days of observance - 2007 January 1 Third Day of the Fast of the Nativity 2 Fourth Day of the Fast of the Nativity 3 Fifth Day
Notes
- ^ December 25 on the traditional Julian Calendar (O.S.) falls on January 7 of the modern Gregorian Calendar (N.S.). The Julian calendar, a reform of the Roman calendar, was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC and came into force in 45 BC (709 Ab urbe condita Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used Calendar in the world today The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used Calendar in the world today All dates in this article refer to the dates as they are written in the Menaion. The Menaion ( Greek: Μηναίον Slavonic: Минеѧ Minéya, "of the month" refers to the annual fixed cycle of services in For those churches which follow the Julian Calendar, the date on the Gregorian Calendar will be 13 days later (December 25 Julian = January 7 Gregorian). For those churches following the Revised Julian Calendar, the services will be celebrated on the date given here, according to the calculation of the Gregorian Calendar. The Revised Julian calendar or less formally New Calendar, is a Calendar scheme originated in 1923 which effectively discontinued the 340 years of divergence between
- ^ Kallistos (Ware), Archimandrite (1978), “The True Nature of Fasting”, The Lenten Triodion, South Canaan, PA: St. Timothy Ware (born 1934) also known as His Excellency the Most Reverend Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, is a titular Metropolitan of the Eastern Tikhon's Seminary Press (2002 reprint), ISBN 1-878997-51-3
- ^ a b Kallistos (Timothy Ware), Bishop (1969), “Background and Meaning of the Feasts”, The Festal Menaion, London: Faber and Faber, p. Timothy Ware (born 1934) also known as His Excellency the Most Reverend Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, is a titular Metropolitan of the Eastern 53, ISBN 0-571-11137-8
See also
- Great Lent
- Apostles' Fast
- Dormition Fast
External links
- Sunday of the Forefathers Orthodox icon and synaxarion
- Sunday before the Nativity
- Eve of the Nativity