Easter - a great Christian holiday, which unites all the historical churches and a significant part of the Protestant denominations.To believers to prepare for it, they are fasting, called the Great.This process of spiritual purification, among other things, involves the denial and restriction of the use of certain types of food.Even in the years of rebellion in our country there were people who piously blyuli rules prescribed by the faithful of the Orthodox Church, and today millions of believers observe Lent.What can that can not be eaten and what should be the menu in preparation for Easter, will be discussed below.
little history
example rejection of all earthly pleasures, including eating meals, showed his flock Jesus Christ himself, who, after his baptism by John the Baptist went for 40 days in the desert.The early Christians turned it into a tradition throughout the year complied with only one post prior to Easter.During this period they had to eat only bread and water, abandoning wine, sweet and nutritious, as well as spending days in prayer and distributing alms.The first followers of Christ and the Church Fathers were defined as the rules of how to organize Lent, that is possible, it is impossible, and others. They guide us to this day.
Fasting and diet
Today, one can often hear from colleagues, friends or acquaintances that they were going to fast to lose weight.Very often such thoughts express young girls and women.The Church considers this approach sin, and people who are considering this sorokodnevny feat of abstinence as a kind of diet encourages insight into its essence.After all, the Great, as well as any other post, the most important is the spiritual side.Such way, the rejection of certain foods only aims to promote sincere repentance of a Christian.But the question that you can eat in fast (Lent), can not be considered of secondary importance, and it should be sorted out.
Types
According to Orthodox tradition stricter all should fast monks and priests, for which there are several kinds of fasting:
- "with the eating of fish," when you can eat vegetarian food, seasoned with vegetable oil in any cooking, as well asfish and fish products;
- "with the eating boiled with oil" is intended to include the menu, including the hot vegetable food, seasoned or cooked in vegetable oil;
- "welded to the eating," when used hot dishes made from ingredients exclusively of plant origin without oil;
- "strict fasting", involving fasting, the believer can only drink cold water;
- "with xerophagy": you can not eat only vegetarian food cooked in the cold without oil and use are not warmed drinking.
In addition, what you can and can not eat in the post, monastic regulations and regulates the number of meals.In particular, it is allowed to eat food only once a day, after Vespers.
rules of fasting (for food) for the laity
In recent decades, the Orthodox Church holds a large educational work in order to clarify the rules of the faithful who have followed their ancestors for thousands of years.This educational program is really necessary, since many do not even know basic things.For example, during the public interviews with pastors often hear the question: "What can and can not eat during Lent?"As for the monastic brotherhood, and for the laity, on different days of the week including various degrees of severity of fasting.In addition, during the fast is celebrated several holidays that made some concessions.
Menu Lent: what to eat and what not on weekdays
Naistrozhayshee abstinence prescribed observe in net Monday (first day) and on Good Friday, when the faithful should generally refuse to eat and drink onlycold water.
Asked what can be eaten in the post (Lent), you can answer this way: "A lot depends on what day of the week in question."For example, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, during the 40 days preceding Easter, Orthodox adhere to prescribed xerophagy.In other words, they should be used only from plant food ingredients are not heat treated.And the number of meals should be reduced to one, which takes place in the dark.
Tuesdays and Thursdays are allowed to eat cooked food, but it should not be filled even vegetable oil.As for what you can and can not eat in the post on Saturday and Sunday, it is the most "hearty" days, when allowed to eat hot meals, cooked in vegetable oil.In addition, during the period of spiritual cleansing on the eve of Passover celebrates the feast of the Annunciation and Palm Sunday, after which the faithful can include in its menu fish.
It should be noted that during all 40 days of Lent is strictly prohibited to eat meat, any dairy products and eggs.You should also give up the pastries, chocolate and, of course, alcohol.
Who can not fast
Church makes an exception and does not require fasting all those Orthodox Christians who abstain from food can lead to health problems.In particular, the post, including the Great, should not comply with aching, as well as young children, pregnant women and nursing mothers.Exceptions are elderly and people with weakened immune systems, those engaged in hard physical labor, traveling and imprisoned.If you still wish to fast is very strong, they should talk to the father, to receive his blessing and to see him with some indulgences is better to do.
Lent: the menu (what you can and can not eat), examples of dishes
Orthodox hostess, especially the young, are often at a loss as to feed the household, observing all the prescribed rules.If you look at the list of products which are not among the forbidden, it appears that a correct menu is not so difficult.For example, from the fact that you can eat during Lent, the focus can be done on grains, nuts, vegetables and fruits.Moreover, the Church does not prohibit the use of all kinds of pickled fruits and vegetables and pickles.In addition, permitted juices and jams, which may well replace sweets and desserts.Add to that the fresh and frozen fruits, vegetables and mushrooms, and it turns out that you have a pretty good selection of products.By the way, is not necessarily limited to the traditional Russian dishes, as well as observe the holy canons of the Serbs, Bulgarians, Orthodox Arabs, Georgians, national kitchens where there are lots of interesting meatless dishes.
What to cook
In these days of Lent takes place.What can that you can not have, you know, and now it's time to learn how to cook a few dishes that will not harm the health and at the same time comply with all the rules.
So, should form the basis of the menu of salads, cooked or raw food only, dressed or not dressed with oil, depending on the day of the week for which it is cooked.Also, it will include soups that can be eaten on the days when allowed to eat cooked food.By the way, despite the fact that the pastry on fasting days is prohibited, this applies only to those rolls, muffins and pastries, the dough which is kneaded on the eggs, sour cream, butter, cottage cheese, yogurt or other dairy products.You would think that without it nothing to bake?However, will continue to be presented recipes that will change your idea of what you can and can not be eaten during Lent, while respecting the rules of abstinence.
Lenten soups
celery and carrot
2 stalks of celery, 400 g carrots, polgolovki onion, cut into chunks, put the pan, pour two cups of water and cook until tender carrots.Whisk the soup in a blender, add salt and pepper, add ½ hours. L.nutmeg and as much honey.Pour the contents of the blender in a saucepan and cook another 2 minutes (no more).Before serving, sprinkle with parsley and basil.
soup with eggplant
One eggplant cut the stalk and bake in the oven.Clean it from the skin and cut.Half of onion and 1 clove garlic finely chopped and Passer on vegetable oil.Pour into the pan 1/2 Art.l.tomato paste diluted in 1 tablespoon.of water, add the onions and garlic with the butter, put the sliced eggplant, salt, pepper and cook for about 10 minutes before serving sprinkle with herbs.
"Monastic"
will take : ½ st.mineral water (carbonated), ½ of Art.vegetable oil, half a tin of jam (better pear) and flour in an amount sufficient to get an easy stretch dough.
Preparation : Pieces of fruit is removed from the jam and allow fluid to drain.Of all the remaining ingredients kneaded dough.Unroll it, cut glass molds or circles.Each wrapped in a tube, putting one piece of pear.Spread on a greased baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for fifteen minutes.
Biscuits "Lenten"
Take 6 tablespoons.flour, 2 tbsp.starch, 1 tbsp.vegetable oil, the same water for 1 hour. L.soda, citric acid on the tip of a knife, and 2 cups of sugar.
Preparation : Soda quenched with citric acid solution.The flour and starch were triturated with vegetable oil.Enter slaked soda.Add sugar dissolved in water.Knead not very stiff dough.Roll out, cut out figures using molds and bake until done.
Note that examines the power in the post (what you can and can not eat, described above).During this period, although the sweet drink is permitted, but it is not recommended to abuse.So do not overeat even lean, but sweet cookies.
Salads
first thing that is recommended for those who do not know that you can eat during Lent, prepare a salad, for example, mushrooms and walnuts.For this purpose kernels are roasted in the frying pan without oil.Wash and finely chop tarragon sprigs and shallot.Olive oil mixed with salt, pepper and vinegar.Salad frieze hands tearing to pieces.Mix all ingredients with canned mushrooms and seasoned with a mixture of oil, vinegar and spices.
Now you know how important food is in Lent.What can, and that can not cook, you also know, so you can properly prepare for the great feast of the Resurrection.
