The Orthodox Christians who follow the Gregorian calendar on November 28 (November 15 on the Julian calendar) start the Nativity Fast that is so known as the Advent. It runs for 40 days and ends on January 6 (December 24 on the Julian calendar), before the Nativity of Jesus, IPN reports.

Bishop of the Church “Saint Dumitru” Pavel Borshevski has told IPN that by Christmas the faithful must renew their thoughts. “The goal of fasting is to clear the mind and soul for freeing place for faith. For the body not to be ultimately an obstacle to housing God, we deprive the body of sweet food,” explained the priest.

The fast entails fasting from poultry, meat products, eggs, dairy products, fish, oil, and wine. The fasting rules permit fish on Saturday and Sunday throughout the fasting period. The persons who are ill, the very young or elderly and nursing mothers are exempt from fasting. Those who want to take communion can do it in any church starting with the first fasting week.

Pavel Borshevski said the Church recommends being merciful in this period, as real fasting is when one shares the food with the poor and the close ones, and getting rid of anger, jealousy, hatred, greediness and avarice. “We should give up watching TV and using the computer and stop distancing ourselves through these. One should also start fire in the stove and visit the parents in villages,” stated the bishop.

There are four fasting periods during the year, namely Great Lent, the Apostles’ Fast, the Nativity Fast and the Dormition Fast.