History of the Dormition Fast
The Dormition fast was established as preceding
the great feasts of the Transfiguration of the Lord and of the Dormition of the
Mother of God. It lasts two weeks—from August 1/14–August 14/27 (old style/new
style).
The Dormition fast
comes down to us from the early days of Christianity.
We find a clear
reference to the Dormition fast in a conversation of Leo the Great from around
the year 450 A.D. “The Church fasts are situated in the year in such a way that
a special abstinence is prescribed for each time. Thus, for spring there is the
spring fast ]—the Forty Days[Great Lent; for summer there is the summer fast…
[the Apostles’ fast]; for autumn there is the autumn fast, in the seventh month
[Dormition fast]; for winter there is the winter fast [Nativity fast].”
St. Symeon of
Thessalonica writes that, “The fast in August [Dormition fast] was established
in honor of the Mother of God the Word; Who, foreknowing Her repose,
ascetically labored and fasted for us as always, although She was holy and
immaculate, and had no need for fasting. Thus, She especially prayed for us in
preparation for being transported from this life to the future life, when Her
blessed soul would be united through the Divine spirit with Her Son. Therefore,
we also should fast and praise Her, emulating Her life, urging Her thereby to
pray for us. Some, by the way, say that this fast was instituted on the occasion
of two feasts—the Transfiguration and the Dormition. I also consider it
necessary to remember these two feasts—one which gives us light, and the other
which is merciful to us and intercedes for us.”
The Dormition fast
is not as strict as the Great Fast, but it is stricter than the Apostle’s and
Nativity fasts.
On Monday,
Wednesdays and Fridays of the Dormition fast, the Church rubrics
prescribe xerophagy, that is, the strictest
fast of uncooked food (without oil); on Tuesdays and Thursdays, “with cooked food,
but with no oil”; on Saturdays and Sundays wine and oil are allowed.
Until the feast of
the Transfiguration of the Lord, when grapes and apples are blessed in the
churches, the Church requires that we abstain from these fruits. According to
the tradition of the holy fathers, “If one of the brethren should eat the
grapes before the feast, then let him be forbidden for obedience’s sake to
taste of the grapes during the entire month of August.”
On the feast of
the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Church rubrics allow fish. After that day,
on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the fruits of the new harvest would always
be included in the meals.
The spiritual fast
is closely united with the bodily, just as our soul is united with the body,
penetrates it, enlivens it, and makes one united whole with it, as the soul and
body make one living human being. Therefore, in fasting bodily we must at the
same time fast spiritually: “Brothers, in fasting bodily let us also fast
spiritually, severing all union with unrighteousness,” the Holy Church enjoins
us.
The main thing In
fasting bodily is restraint from abundant, tasty and sweet foods; the main
thing in fasting spiritually is restraint from passionate, sinful movements
that indulge our sensual inclinations and vices. The former is renunciation of
the more nourishing foods for fasting food, which is less nourishing; the
latter is the renunciation of our favorite sins for exercise in the virtues
which oppose them.
The essence of the
fast is expressed in the following Church hymn: “If you fast from food, my
soul, but are not purified of the passions, in vain do we comfort ourselves by
not eating. For if the fast does not bring correction, then it will be hateful
to God as false, and you will be like unto the evil demons, who never eat.”
The Great fast and
the Dormition fast are particularly strict with regard to entertainment—in
Imperial Russia even civil law forbade public masquerades and shows during
these fasts.
Source: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/38700.html
