/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

>In the Slavonic and Antiochian traditions, beer is not treated as an alcoholic beverage.

Surely surely you can't be serious.

>>557972

Serious as a heart attack.

>My parish runs on the Old Calendar (ROCOR)

>Haven't started fasting yet

>Get to wait until after Thanksgiving to begin

Ordering some pizza for dinner today, lads.

I'm looking forward to the fast when it comes though, since aside from the spiritual purpose the small meals and low calorie intake make me feel better all-around.

Outside of the normal fasting rules, I'm giving up candy and beer. Going to be eating a lot of bread, dried fruit, and vegetables.

>>557972

The books say "wine," and you can't exactly tell Russians to avoid vodka, can you?

>>557973

How is this not blatant eschewing of tradition?

>>557972

>>557980

Historically, beer had been rather treated as a "fizzy drink." While the fast is, strictly speaking, about wine, beer isn't included even when we extend it to refer to alcoholic beverages as a whole. But, again, this is for the Slavs and the Arabs - the Greeks do abstain from beer too.

>>557973

>>557979

>>557984

What the fuck

>>557998

For the record, this isn't just because "lol we want to drink." Historically the reason that some alcoholic beverages were allowed during fasting periods is because water had a good chance of being a vector for disease. The alcohol was guaranteed to be sterile and safe to drink. There were also some cultural factors involved with wine in particular that made it a luxury item.

Nowadays of course there's not much of an excuse. In my experience, a good number of people that follow the fasts in the Slavonic tradition will usually abstain from alcohol entirely and stick to the spirit of the rule over the letter.

>>557972

beer = bread

>>557969

>In the Slavonic and Antiochian traditions, beer is not treated as an alcoholic beverage.

>Slavs don't treat beer as an alcoholic beverage.

Why Am I not surprised?

Are we allowed to have Orthodox General threads?

>>558014

recent convert perhaps?

>>558015

We can but it will just get raided with Baptists.

>>558014

What do you do for the Nativity Fast then?

I and my parish follow the rules of the Byzantine tradition (we are under the Ecumenical Patriarchate). Now, both our priests are hieromonks, so maybe we're being more strict than the norm, I don't know…

>>558015

Baptists had their general *containment* thread for shtiposting, but basically this: >>558017

>>558016

I'm Georgian, I'm Orthodox since I was born.

>>558024

Here fasting is usually about rejection for animal products, but the situation here currently is laughable, as people "fast" by eating lent sausages made of soy beans and so on. It's pathetic. Also I dislike modern attitude to lent in general, because it is seen as abstaining from food, sort of a diet instead of spending more time thinking about God. Modern "lent" is more akin to hypocritical Muslim Ramadan

How large should a meal be?

>>559067

It's different for everyone. A priest once told me that when fasting you should never eat so much as to be "full", but to end a meal feeling that you could have eaten more.

>>557972

nobody treats bud-light as alcohol

I'm going home to my family for Thanksgiving. Long story short, they aren't aware that I'm fasting. What do I do when served meat/dairy/etc. or more meals that I should eat? Do I tell them I'm fasting?

>>560471

>Do I tell them I'm fasting?

Matthew 6:17-18

But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

>>560473

So do I just refuse to eat or only eat the vegetables or something?

>>560474

talk to your priest, maybe get a blessing to eat it just for the occasion or just tell your family that you are fasting, good red pill opportunity

OP omitted this so i feel the need to post this.

Don't fast if:

>you're pregnant

>seriously sick

>you don't pray while fasting

How are you guys holding up?

I have a question. What do you eat to stay at least somewhat healthy? I'm on the edge of unhealthily skinny as is, and I found that my two meals a day aren't cutting it calorie-wise, even though I'm getting close to or even full both times. Any advice on easily acquired, energy-rich, unfilling, and modest foods?

Non orthodox here. Does this really have an effect on your faith and how you experience Christmas? How significant is it? Because I've been contemplating doing something like this this year

>>557972

Fasting is and has always been more about less eating and less luxurious eating.

Beer was very common because the process made water safe to drink.

Wine however was seen as a luxury drink and not affordable by everyone.

Heck I'm thinking about switching the whole fish/meat thing even.

I mean I prefer fish above meat, and fish is more expensive these days too.

>>563201

Potatoes for me, man.

I'm similar to you that I'm already pretty skinny and need calories. Potatoes have been a staple for me

If you're not a big fan of potatoes, rice also is really good

Stop drinking alcohol.

I'm officially Orthodox but my father is Lutheran so im kind of lutheran but embracing my orthodox side because lutheran church here is so degenerate. I dont know much about orthodox traditions Can someone tell why do you fast over christmas? Dont you eat all the nice foods? I would like to know.

>>563201

I'm sick and the doctor's prescription includes ceasing to eat raw vegetables, ceasing to eat fish, and eating red meat and dairy. In other words, my fast is screwed (both for prayer because I'm sick so I'm really weak, and for food because following the doctor's prescription sounds like a sufficient reason to me). I'll probably resume a proper fast in a week or so.

>>563207

I think it's nice… It's like a Lent-light (unlike with Lent, we can consommate alcohol and oil during Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays; and fish on week-ends until the 12th of December), and of course it makes anticipation for the Nativity so much more religious, which is great in this age in which Christmas has become a Coke commercial.

At the same time, I always get sick during this period of the year, and the cold makes me more hungry than usual as well.

>>563301

While the standard is high, it's not strict - everybody follows the rules to the degree they are able to. It's an exercise, not an end in itself, and as >>560499 kindly reminded (since I forgot to put it in the OP), it's worthless if it doesn't come along with prayer and humility. Although abstaining from food can itself be the first step toward prayer and humility.

We fast until Christmas in anticipation for the birth of the Lord. It's a bit similar to the fast of Lent in anticipation for the resurrection of the Lord, although the Nativity Fast is less strict since Easter is the single most important feast day, while Christmas is just one of the 12 Great Feasts.

I know from the Orthodox over in the US that Thanksgiving is usually followed anyway, as an exception. It's not celebrated in my country, so yeah…

>>563308

Uh oh i feel like an idiot now. I totally forgot that most of the orthodox churches have christmas on january 6th. I guess im a filthy rookie. Thanks for answering. t.>>563301

>>563310

January 7th (not the 1st…) is only for those under the Old Calendar, which is actually a minority of Orthodox Churches.

Mine is under the New Calendar so the fast began ~two weeks ago already. It ends for me on the 24th, and 25th is when we have all the good food. The 7th is when those under the Old Calendar will have all the good food.

>>563313

I misread you and thought you said "january 1st." Yeah I'm sick, sorry. Time for me to sleep.

>>563314

Ha ha I guess its already time for me to go to sleep too :D Good night

it starts tomorrow lads, im not ready :((

>>563767

I'm 19 but live in an atheist family, never fasted before, I hope they'll don't treat me like someone mentally challenged, it's not that I care but I don't want to worry them

>>563772

may God bless you richly fam. remember the sayings of our Lord:

"You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved."

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters–yes, even their own life–such a person cannot be my disciple."

it's tough but i don't care what people think anymore. life becomes a whole lot easier. they don't understand why i am a loser idiot, or despondent, or have weird practices. but it doesn't matter since i am not living for this world.

“Remember, that the world, which rose from nothing, is indeed nothingness, and will return to nothing, for heaven and earth shall pass away, but the human soul, the breath of God, the image of the immortal King is itself immortal.

Remember all this, and renounce attachments to all earthly things. Besides looking upon corruptible creatures and created things turn your eyes constantly to the Creator, Who is in every creature, and Who constantly looks upon you, constantly proving your heart and your thoughts.”

— St. John of Kronstadt

>>563791

Thanks a lot for these reminders ! I feel more at ease now, and will talk to them with serious resoluteness

>>563791

I have a question, is it okay if I make an exception for the Christmas Eve ? I would prefer fasting but all my family will be present, and I don't want to offend them

>>564043

go ask your spiritual father

How bad of a sin is it if I overeat during my set meals when I'm not hungry because I know I need the calories to keep a relatively healthy weight?

>>567822

Are you on the verge of being at an unhealthy weight?

>>567826

My BMI is 17.2, around a point below the underweight margin. I just don't want to actually hurt myself.

>>567841

Then I'd say no. It is not sinful. But I am not a priest. I'm just a guy on a Lithuanian basket-weaving forum.

>>563214

>switching the whole fish/meat thing

Unless you have a special permission, the rule is to not eat any kind of meat.

If fish is too luxurious for you and you want a more serious fast, you can always abstain from both fish and meat and eat only vegetables instead.