In less than a month, Orthodox Christians will begin Great Lent, the most significant and strictest fasting period of the year, leading up to Holy Pascha.
Sunday, February 9, marks the start of the Triodion period, which includes a three-week liturgical preparation ahead of Lent. The first day of Great Lent 2025 falls on Monday, March 3.
A Period of Fasting, Prayer, and Spiritual Preparation
Lasting six weeks (40 days), Great Lent mirrors the fasting period observed by Jesus Christ after His Baptism in the Jordan River. It is a time for prayer, repentance, and spiritual renewal, culminating in the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection.
Additionally, the first six Saturdays of Lent are dedicated to intensified prayers for the departed, reinforcing the Orthodox tradition of remembrance.
Easter 2025: A Rare Unified Celebration
This year, all Christian denominations—both Orthodox and Western Churches—will celebrate Pascha on the same day: April 20, 2025.
This coincidence occurs when the first full moon after the spring equinox falls late in the season, after April 3, aligning the Julian and Gregorian Easter dates.
Debates Over a Common Easter Date
As May 2025 marks the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325 AD)—which established the method for calculating Easter—Pope Francis has expressed openness to setting a fixed, unified Easter date for all Christians.
In response, the Romanian Patriarchate emphasized that any decision regarding the Easter date can only be made through a future Pan-Orthodox Synod, with the participation of all Orthodox Churches.
Historically, after 1582, the adoption of different calendars and calendar reforms led to separate Easter dates, which rarely coincide.
Patriarch Daniel on the Meaning of Lent
“Fasting should not be understood as a set of restrictions, but as a school of freedom to love God,” explains Patriarch Daniel.
He emphasizes that fasting is both an offering and an act of intimacy with God, stating: “Whoever fasts but does not pray does not experience true joy.”
Additionally, the biological benefits of fasting are highlighted, as Orthodox fasting emphasizes plant-based foods that derive energy through photosynthesis. “In a way, we nourish ourselves with light,” the Patriarch observed.
Photo: Basilica.ro / Raluca-Emanuela Ene
