Orthodox Christians are observing a fast-free week, during which there is no fasting on Wednesday or Friday, before the beginning of the Fast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. This year, the fast will begin on Monday, 8 June.
The period of preparation for the feast of the two great Apostles will conclude on 28 June, the eve of their feast day on 29 June, for a fast of 21 days. It is the longest Apostles’ Fast in the past eight years.
The length of this fasting period is determined by the date of Pascha. In 2026, the Resurrection of the Lord was celebrated on 12 April, which extended the fasting period before the feast of Saints Peter and Paul.
Fish allowed during many days
Although it is a relatively long period of abstinence, the Fast of Saints Peter and Paul is considered one of the easiest fasting periods of the year in terms of dietary restrictions.
According to the Church calendar, 12 of the 21 fasting days will allow the consumption of fish and seafood. Even the first day of the fast, 8 June, carries a dispensation for fish.
Major feast days during the fasting period include the Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas (11 June) and the Nativity of St John the Baptist (24 June). Fish is also permitted on the feast days of the Romanian martyrs Nicander and Marcian (8 June), Hesychius (15 June), and the Romanian metropolitans Neophyte of Crete (16 June) and Gregory the Teacher (22 June), as well as on weekends.
In Honour of the Holy Apostles
Known in Romanian folk tradition as the “Saint Peter’s Fast”, this period of spiritual preparation is dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, two of the Church’s foremost proclaimers of the Gospel and enduring models of faith, repentance and self-sacrifice.
Through fasting, prayer and good deeds, the faithful are called to imitate the apostolic zeal of the two saints and prepare spiritually for their feast. Such preparation may include more frequent participation in Church services, reading the Epistles of Saints Peter and Paul, studying spiritual literature and increasing acts of charity.
As during all fasting periods of the Church year, religious wedding ceremonies are not officiated during the Apostles’ Fast. According to Church tradition, a season dedicated to repentance and self-restraint is not considered compatible with the festive celebrations that normally accompany weddings.
Different Dates for Churches Using the Julian Calendar
For Orthodox Churches that continue to follow the unrevised Julian calendar, the Fast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul begins on 15 June 2026 and ends on 11 July 2026, since the feast of Saints Peter and Paul is celebrated on 12 July according to the Gregorian calendar (29 June Julian).
As a result, the Apostles’ Fast lasts 27 days in 2026 for these Churches, including the Orthodox Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Moscow, as well as several other local Churches and monastic communities that retain the traditional Julian reckoning.
Photo: Basilica.ro / Raluca-Emanuela Ene
