Fish in the post. Fish Recipes: Lenten Menu

Fish in the post.  Fish Recipes: Lenten Menu
Fish in the post. Fish Recipes: Lenten Menu

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 foods: 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?

The 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, true Christians observe them 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.

The Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos and Palm Sunday are major 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 are allowed, which are 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 for the body iodine, fatty acids and other useful substances.

Each church event requires compliance with certain rules. A true Christian must perform repentance and communion, which helps a person to be cleansed of sins and begin life with a pure soul and thoughts. But not all parishioners, especially newcomers, know how to prepare for the sacrament (fasting before communion).

What is the meaning of abstinence before communion

To perform the rite of the sacrament, the believer must undergo training, which includes:

  • Fasting or abstaining from animal products, fish and vegetable oil on special days.
  • Rejection of intimacy.
  • Reading prayers.
  • Moral humility, or the rejection of worldly entertainment, bad thoughts and deeds.

Fulfilling church canons, the parishioner prepares his soul and body for the opportunity to receive divine gifts and the grace of the Lord.

Why is it necessary to fast in food, deeds and thoughts, if after confession and communion all committed sins are nullified? The bottom line is simple, if the parishioner on the eve of the sacrament is in a state of satiety, satiety with fun, gluttony, bodily pleasures, then he will not be able to accept the grace of God. A well-fed body is more drawn to sleep and rest, and prayers do not reach his soul and mind in the quality required for spiritual enlightenment and forgiveness of sins both by God and by the Christian himself.

The listed abstinences are a kind of sacrifice of a penitent and communing person, which makes it possible to let Christ into his soul. If fasting is done consciously, and not for show, then the believer will feel more deeply the severity of sin and will not want to commit it again. The Lord cannot be deceived, and those who are careless about preparing for the sacrament can be punished even more, and forgiveness will not happen.

Types of posts and their features

Which fast to observe before communion depends on the time at which a Christian prepares for the sacrament and how often he attends church and confesses to a confessor.

In church rules, there are the following types of fasting:

  • Fasting can be strict when it is unacceptable to eat animal products and even fish. Exception for persons with pathologies in the gastrointestinal tract, with diabetes, pregnant, lactating, children and other parishioners with recommendations from a doctor on nutrition. If a person has gathered for communion when, according to the church calendar, they observe the Christmas or Easter fast, then all the days of fasting must be excluded from the products prohibited during the fast.
  • During ordinary fasting, there are days when it is allowed to include fish in the diet during fasting before communion. But the rest of the rules are the same.
  • Fasting, during which you can not eat not only fish, meat, dairy products, eggs, but also vegetable oil. Such a post is called "Firs".
  • Dry eating is a type of fasting when any food is prohibited until sunset, and then only lean foods can be eaten.

In order to follow the rules of preparation before communion and understand what kind of fast a layman should keep, you need to seek help from the ministers of the church - they will explain, taking into account the specifics of the time chosen for confession and communion.

Rules for fasting before communion

Fasting before communion must be followed to the fullest extent, taking into account the time and possible fasting according to the Orthodox calendar. In addition to fasting in food, the believer before communion needs to put his thoughts in order and consider his actions.

  1. Restrict viewing of entertainment programs on TV, computer, attending events.
  2. In your free time from household chores and work, you can devote time to reading church literature for personal enlightenment.
  3. Eliminate quarrels, resentment in relations with other people. Reconsider your actions and, if possible, do a good deed.
  4. To refuse for the period of fasting before communion from intimacy with a partner.
  5. On the third day of fasting, the day before communion, read the obligatory canons: repentant to Christ, prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos, the guardian angel. The canons can be read at a convenient time during the day before communion. On the day of communion in the morning, you need to read the prayer for communion. All prayers and canons can be found in the prayer book for the Orthodox or you can buy separate literature on preparing for communion.
  6. Fasting, or fasting, the believer must keep until the end of the morning liturgy and the celebration of communion. The church day does not begin in the morning, but in the evening of the previous day. Therefore, a parishioner who has gathered for communion and has endured a three-day fast must completely refuse food and drinks from the evening before communion.
  7. Attend the evening service before the day on which the sacrament is scheduled. If Sunday is chosen, then be in the temple for the evening liturgy on Saturday.
  8. Until the moment of partaking of the gifts of God, you need to be cleansed of sins with the help of confession, telling the priest about what is in your soul.

Only after a sincere confession and the absence of offenses, the sacrament of communion will have the power and significance that is preached by the Orthodox religion. If after a three-day fast there are doubts and unfinished business, it is better to postpone the ceremony and prolong your humility and achieve peace of mind so as not to commit other sins.

How long is the post

There are different requirements for the number of days of fasting that a believer must observe before communion:

  • A long fast during the week is the best option for fasting and humility for Christians who rarely attend church and do not follow all the canons. For 7 days, a person has time to think about his actions, pacify pride, forgive offenders and ask for forgiveness from relatives and friends. Having received earthly forgiveness, they will be forgiven by the Lord. Until recently, it was mandatory for all believers who wish to receive communion.
  • A three-day fast is the main preparation for communion for an Orthodox person. A beginner and those who have health problems can not keep a strict fast in food, but otherwise the requirements do not change.
  • Fasts on Wednesdays and Fridays for those who attend the temple weekly for Sunday service.

There is no need to fast before communion for believers engaged in military service or tourism, because these people eat only what is available and being in such a position regarding food, they should observe a spiritual fast.

Is it possible to eat fish in fasting before communion

It will not be difficult for a Christian who observes fasts according to the church calendar systematically to endure fasting for three days. But for a beginner, giving up everyday food can be difficult at first. Excluding meat and animal products from the diet, the newcomers have a worldly question, is it possible to eat fish on these three days? Are seafood and fish on the banned list? It is impossible to unequivocally answer whether it is possible to fast fish before communion or not.

It all depends on the period in which confession and communion are supposed to take place. You can eat fish on the days when it is allowed for consumption during normal fasting. But on the days of strict fasting, even fish is forbidden for believers.

Fish is allowed for pregnant, lactating, children, so as not to deprive them of good nutrition at the time of preparation for the ceremony and not harm their health. For the rest of the Orthodox, who doubt whether it is possible to eat fish while fasting, it is better to refuse it for three days, given that the period is short. Any doubts will be resolved by the priests of the church if the parishioner asks questions of interest, so that no mistakes are made in fasting before communion due to lack of information.

List of allowed products

The basket for a meal during a three-day fast cannot be called meager. The assortment is diverse and contains a complex of useful vitamins and minerals, if you make the menu correctly, and do not eat monotonous dishes:

  • cereals;
  • pasta without eggs, flour and water;
  • fruit;
  • vegetables, greens;
  • berries;
  • nuts;
  • mushrooms;
  • vegetable oil;
  • lean bread;
  • tea, black coffee, decoctions, compotes.

Spices, herbs and natural sauces without the addition of animal fats are not prohibited. If you approach the preparation of the menu with imagination, then fasting will not seem like torment, but the body will be prepared for purification and atonement for sins.

Finally

Communion must be taken seriously and the rite should be performed not because it is customary to do so, but only with the readiness to fulfill the church rules of preparation as a true Christian. Only with a full understanding of the meaning of divine gifts can one open one's soul for the faith and grace of Christ to enter into it.

The Advent fast is about to begin, which is one of the strictest fasts in the Orthodox religion. Fasting starts after the 27th. On this day, the day of memory of the Apostle Philip is celebrated, so sometimes the fast is called the Philip fast. Fasting is established so that by Christmas a person feels himself felt in soul and body, repentant and ready to reverently meet the Son of the Lord.

Meals during Advent

The rules of abstinence during the Nativity Fast are just as strict as during the Peter Fast. But is it possible to eat fish on Advent? During fasting, fish can only be eaten on Saturday and Sunday, as well as on great Orthodox holidays.

During fasting, it is forbidden to eat any animal products, such as meat, butter, eggs, dairy products and cheese. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday it is forbidden to eat boiled food. It is allowed to use only fresh or pickled vegetables and fruits without vegetable oil.

Fish during the Nativity Fast is cooked both boiled and stewed. Fish dishes can be consumed only on holidays, as well as on Saturday and Sunday. On the same days, you can drink grape, apple or berry wine in moderation.

Why you can eat fish in fasting

Strict fasting does not allow the consumption of fish. However, Advent is not very strict, so the church allows Orthodox lay people to eat seafood and fish during Advent, fish days are strictly stipulated by the church.

True, when eating fish, fasting will no longer be considered strict. So if you want to fully observe the Advent fast, fish should be excluded from the diet. However, on the great Orthodox holidays, believers can eat fish dishes with peace of mind and even drink wine in small quantities.

When can you eat fish on Advent

During the Christmas sweat, you can eat fish and seafood on Sundays and Saturdays, as well as on great Orthodox holidays, temple holidays and the days of great saints. From January 2 to January 6, it is necessary to adhere to the strictest post. During this period, it is forbidden to eat fish even on Saturday and Sunday, as well as to eat boiled food and dishes with the addition of vegetable oil.

How to fast properly

The main meaning of fasting is spiritual purification, which is achieved through abstinence from food. However, fasting must be done correctly. Abstinence from food should not become exhaustion of the body, so it is necessary to gradually prepare the body for fasting.

Fasting can be too hard for an unaccustomed person, so before observing the fast, consult your spiritual mentor, as well as your doctor, because in some cases it can be dangerous to health.

Having figured out whether it is possible to fish during the Christmas fast, it is also worth noting that fasting without spiritual humility will not make any sense. After all, fasting is the purification of the soul through the body.

The essence of the post

Orthodox people are preparing for the event thoroughly. They know that prayers will help them cleanse themselves of sinful thoughts and start a new life. All free time should be spent in church, and prove your faith to God.

The purpose of fasting is to cleanse the soul and body from sins, and celebrate the Nativity of Christ with a light heart. Each person decides for himself whether he should refrain from human pleasures for 40 days. This choice must be conscious. If it was decided to observe the fast, it must be done according to the rules. You will have to give up your favorite delicacies, holidays and fun for a while. All free time should be devoted to prayers, visit the temple, lead a calm and measured life.

Food Prohibitions Before Communion

Is it possible for laymen to eat fish before communion in - a rather popular question. If an Orthodox person has decided to fast, it will not be difficult to give up meat products for 40 days. Is fish a prohibited food? There is no single answer to the question. Everything depends on the circumstances. Fish can be eaten on permitted days. During a strict fast, fish delicacies will have to be abandoned.


Pregnant women, nursing mothers, children can eat fish in preparation for the ceremony. The rest of the Orthodox will have to exclude the product from the menu for 3 days.

Meal calendar: for a week

Especially for the laity, a food calendar was developed. It allows you to create a daily menu, and cook healthy and tasty meals.

  1. Monday. It is advisable to eat hot food without oil. Porridges, soups, herbs, jams will be an excellent choice.
  2. Tuesday and Thursday. Soup, pilaf, salad, meatballs should be on the dinner table. Oil can be added to dishes.
  3. Wednesday and Friday. They are considered the strictest days of the week. At this time, dry eating is allowed. Vegetables, fruits, raw food, nuts are allowed foods. You can not drink tea and compote.
  4. Saturday and Sunday. Good time to diversify the menu. You can cook fish delicacies using vegetable oil.

Note!

Drinking wine is allowed on weekends.

Read also

When can you eat fish?

On which days it is allowed to eat fish dishes, many lay people are interested. During fasting, some indulgences are allowed. Fish is allowed to be consumed on any day except Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Completion of the post

The period from January 2 to 6 will be quite strict. At this time, you will have to change your usual diet, fish must be excluded from it.

Dry eating is allowed on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, hot meals without butter are served.

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This article will give a detailed answer to the question of whether it is possible to eat fish in, as well as how to cook this product in order to delight your home with delicious and unusual dishes.

As many already know, fasting begins on the twenty-eighth day of November, since this abstinence from food lasts exactly forty days, then fasting ends on the sixth day, right before the onset of the holy Christmas holiday. The sixth day of January is also considered fasting, but the seventh day will give Christians the opportunity to abandon fasting and eat any delicious dishes made from meat or fish, seasoned with vegetable or butter. Church scriptures say that with the help of such abstinence from food, a person must cleanse himself of everything sinful, therefore it is so important to forget about sinful thoughts and deeds during fasting, this is the only way to prepare yourself for the great holiday.




Fish days of this post

Since believers often want to know when it is possible to eat fish during the period of abstinence from food, it is worth saying that Saturdays and Sundays can be used to prepare delicious fish dishes. Also, fish can be on the table on great holidays that are celebrated by the church, in addition, fish dishes are allowed on the days of great saints and various temple holidays, so it’s worth learning a little more about such days. If we consider a milder charter, then the fish can be present on the table on almost all days of the week, with the exception of the third and fifth days of the week, during this period it is allowed to eat only raw food.

Who can eat fish dishes and when?

There are certain rules in the church calendar that say that people must adhere to a certain strict menu during the period of fasting, but for some people there may be an indulgence in the restriction of products. For example, if ordinary healthy Orthodox Christians must comply with the restrictions more strictly, then children of primary and school age can eat fish almost every day, this relief applies to students, people who have a harmful and difficult job, and fish can also be present on the table of expectant and nursing mothers.




This product contains all the necessary healthy vitamins and fats that children need for development, while adults are allowed to cook dishes from this product during hard physical work, since a person needs strength to perform his duties. At the same time, indulgence is allowed for weak and sick people, since it takes a lot of effort to fight the disease, for this it is important for the body to get the animal proteins contained in fish meat. Therefore, fish must be included in the lean.

Fish is prepared in various forms, but most often it is recommended to boil, bake and stew this product, in this case there is no need to use too much vegetable oil, which is prohibited during the days of the Christmas fast. There are several excellent dishes that can be made with fish, below are the best recipes that are allowed to be prepared on fasting days, while they will help diversify the believer's menu.




The best options for fasting fish dishes

There are several dishes that can become a real decoration of the table, even though the believer has to fast. Such dishes can be decorated with fresh or boiled vegetables; it is also allowed to add quite a bit of vegetable oil to the dish to improve the taste. All the same, if possible, then it is better to cook the fish in pots, a double boiler or an oven, in this case, you can reduce the addition of oil to the dish, and the fish will save many times more vitamins than with conventional frying in a pan.

Salmon with potatoes in pots

The dish is quite unusual, but all the ingredients are allowed to be eaten during the fasting period, but in the end you get a very tender and incredibly tasty dish, so you should discuss the products themselves to create the dish.

Ingredients:

Frozen salmon fillet - as needed;
Slightly boiled potatoes in water;
Ginger root ordinary (pickled);
A little vegetable oil;
Salt and various spices;
Crushed crackers or bread crumbs.

Cooking process:

It is not at all difficult to create such a dish, so every housewife will cope with it, in order to make the salmon tender and tasty, it is necessary to prepare fire-resistant dishes in which the fish with a side dish will be baked. The dishes are smeared with oil, and then covered with parchment, if it is not there, then foil is quite suitable, potatoes cut into slices or ringlets are laid out on the surface, sprinkled with salt and various spices.




Also, pieces of salmon fillet are rolled in spices and spread on prepared potatoes, pickled ginger is placed on top and everything is sprinkled with bread crumbs. It takes about one hour to cook in the oven, sometimes it takes a little longer.

fish salad

Even on fasting days, you can indulge yourself with a delicious salad, which will include mushrooms and different varieties of boiled fish, it is worth considering such a recipe in more detail in order to prepare the most delicious appetizer on the table.

Ingredients:

Several varieties of fish (perch or pink salmon);
onion head;
Mushrooms any;
Lean soy mayonnaise;
Peeled potatoes.

Salad Making Process:

Such a salad should be laid out on a dish in the form of layers, first you need to boil two varieties of fish, as soon as the product is ready, it is cooled and separated from the bones. The first layer is fish, then fried mushrooms are laid out and the layer is smeared with lean mayonnaise, then the onions are fried in a pan and also placed on mushrooms, everything is covered with boiled grated potatoes on top and again covered with mayonnaise.




It is best to decorate such a lenten snack dish with various fresh bright vegetables, as soon as the dish is ready, it is placed in the refrigerator, where the salad is infused for at least twelve hours.

Herring under a fur coat

Although this appetizer is quite traditional, such a salad will still be wonderful for fasting, but it’s worth saying right away that only lean mayonnaise, which is made on the basis of soy, can be used as a dressing.

Ingredients:

A couple of carcasses of large herring;
A couple of large boiled carrots;
A little salt if necessary;
A pack of lean mayonnaise;
4 large potatoes;
Boiled beets one piece;
Large bulb;
A couple of small apples.

Cooking process:

To begin with, it’s worth saying what is created in layers, so for starters it’s worth laying out a dense layer of potatoes, sliced ​​\u200b\u200bherring and onion scalded with boiling water immediately fit on top.




Top layers are covered with lean mayonnaise. Then grated apples, carrots and beets begin to be laid again, the layers are again covered with mayonnaise, and the salad is allowed to soak for a while. If you wish, you can decorate the appetizer with various fresh vegetables.

It is not at all difficult to observe even a strict fast, of course, for this it is worth finding new delicious recipes in order to cook something really delicious from ordinary vegetables and fresh fish. Fish contains a lot of useful components, so you should not refuse this delicacy during the period of strict observance of the post.