In about a month, on February 23, Orthodox Christians will enter Great Lent, also known as the Great Fast. The Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord (Holy Pascha) will be celebrated on April 12 this year.
On February 1, the liturgical season of the Triodion begins, including three preparatory weeks for Great Lent, followed by the six weeks of fasting itself.
During the Triodion period, there are four special Sundays before the fast:
- Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee (1 February 2026)
- Sunday of the Prodigal Son (8 February 2026)
- Sunday of the Last Judgement (15 February 2026)
- Sunday of Adam’s Expulsion from Paradise (22 February 2026)
During Great Lent, there are five special Sundays dedicated to: Orthodoxy (March 1), St Gregory Palamas (March 8), the Holy Cross (March 15), St John Climacus (March 22), and St Mary of Egypt (March 29).
Throughout the Triodion period, several days are aliturgical, when the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated. These are: Wednesday and Friday of Cheesefare Week, Monday and Tuesday of the first week of Great Lent, and Holy and Great Friday.
Repentance and preparation
In the first four days of the fast, the Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete is read — a penitential liturgical hymn recalling the history of salvation. To emphasise the need for a repentant conscience, the Church has also appointed the canon to be read in full during the fifth week of the fast.
Another distinctive feature is the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, attributed to St Gregory the Dialogist, which is celebrated only during Great Lent.
The final week of Great Lent is dedicated to the remembrance of the saving Passion of the Lord Jesus Christ, from His triumphant entry into Jerusalem to His crucifixion and burial. The Church calls the faithful to prayer, repentance and vigil, so that they may share in Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross and prepare spiritually for the joy of the Resurrection.
How is the fast observed?
Great Lent is the longest and strictest of the fasting seasons, preparing Christians for the most important feast: the Resurrection of the Lord.
It lasts six weeks, meaning forty days of fasting, recalling the period of fasting kept by the Saviour Jesus Christ immediately after His Baptism in the Jordan.
According to current Church tradition, it is observed as follows:
- In the first two days — Monday and Tuesday of the first week — complete fasting is recommended, or abstinence until the evening, when bread and water may be taken;
- Likewise, on most days of Holy Week;
- Throughout the rest of the fast, especially in monasteries, dry food is eaten once a day in the evening on the first five days of the week, while on Saturdays and Sundays, food is taken twice a day, consisting of boiled vegetables with oil and a little wine;
- Fish is permitted on the Feast of the Annunciation and on Palm Sunday.
Because Holy Pascha falls earlier this year, the Fast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul will also be longer, lasting 21 days.
Photo: Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu
