In the Christian tradition, Lent is a time of spiritual purification, prayer, good works, and inner growth. This is not only a restriction in food, but also an opportunity for a deeper spiritual rethinking. With the transition to the New Julian calendar, the dates of church holidays shifted by 13 days, which also applies to fasting. Here's a detailed post calendar for 2025, including how the dates for the various posts have changed.
Great Lent is the longest and strictest fast of the year, lasting 48 days. It begins 7 weeks before Easter and ends on the day of the Resurrection of Christ. Since Easter is a transition holiday, the dates of Lent change each year, but for the new and old styles they coincide.
In 2025, Great Lent will begin on March 3 and end on April 19, which will be a special time for prayer and spiritual cleansing before Easter.
Peter's fast follows Easter and lasts from the Trinity until the day of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. As the dates of the Trinity change each year, so does Lent. In 2025, the Trinity will be celebrated on June 8, so Peter's Lent will begin on June 16 and last until June 28. This is a period of spiritual concentration before the feast of Peter and Paul.
In 2024, due to the late Easter, the OCU canceled Peter's fast, since there was no time left on the calendar for it.
The Assumption fast lasts two weeks before the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It starts on August 1 and lasts until August 14. This is the time when believers are preparing for the great feast of the Assumption, which is celebrated on August 15. According to the old style, Assumption Lent will begin on August 14 and last until August 27.
Christmas Lent is the last great Lent of the year, which lasts 40 days. For those who celebrate Christmas on December 25, Lent will last from November 15 to December 24. According to the old style, this fast begins on November 28 and lasts until January 6.
One-day fasts
In the Orthodox tradition, there is also the practice of one-day fasts, of which there are three in a year:
- Fasting on Epiphany — January 5 according to the new style and January 18 according to the old.
- Fasting on the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist - August 29 according to the new style and September 11 according to the old.
- Fasting on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross — September 14 according to the new style and September 27 according to the old.
Fasting in Orthodoxy is not only a restriction in food, but also a time of spiritual purification and growth. The fasting calendar for 2025 contains changes, in particular due to the transition to the New Julian calendar, and gives believers new opportunities for a deep experience of spiritual practices.
