From Shrove Monday begins the Great Lent before Easter (Arm. Մեծ Պահք) in the Armenian Church. It includes Holy Week, (Arm. Աւագ Շաբաթ, translated: Great Week) and ends with the Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord (Arm. ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? with what??????????????? it???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

By fasting, the Armenian Church means, on the one hand, abstaining from all animal products and products, as well as from pleasures and other time-wasting activities, and, on the other hand, turning our mind and spirit to prayer, repentance, and penance, so that through this we draw closer to God. On the contrary, fasting loses its essential and fundamental importance if it is limited to abstaining from animal products. There are thousands of people who follow a vegetarian diet, which of course does not mean that they are spiritually fasting. For the Armenian Church, physical and moral fasting are part of a kind of spiritual “journey from darkness into light”.

The spiritual goal of fasting is repentance, in other words, cleansing from sin and liberation from the sense of guilt, for sin is the supreme evil in an individual and in a community and what separates us from God. When man is robbed of his moral values, he ceases to be human. What distinguishes us from other creatures is not our physical appearance, but our moral awareness, our conscience, and our ability to know and turn to God.

It must also be mentioned that fasting alone does not bring forgiveness of sins. God alone is the one who forgives us. Fasting is an important aid in this forgiveness process. Repentance, prayer, and penance, which must be part of fasting, create the basic conditions in which God's healing and forgiving power works.


Some practical fasting rules:

1. Fasting in the Armenian Church begins on Shrove Monday.

2. From this day until the eve of Easter or until Easter, one abstains from all animal products (meat, fish, sausage, etc.) and products (eggs, butter, milk, cheese, etc.). The only exception is honey .

3. In addition to "normal" fasting, there is also strict or total fasting, when you don't eat anything for a certain period of time. Usually these are Wednesdays and Fridays of Great Lent. It can also be by the hour, e.g. B. from sunrise to sunset. After that, you can eat plant-based foods again.

4. Fasting in the Armenian Church is continuous, 24 hours a day, including Saturdays and Sundays. For those who cannot keep it up, it is exceptionally possible to eat animal products (eggs, butter, cheese, milk, etc. but no meat) on Saturdays and Sundays. This is called a "half fast".

5. In the middle of Great Lent, “Michink” (Arm. Միջինք) is celebrated. You bake a cake in which a coin is hidden. The year will bring good luck to whoever gets the piece of cake with the hidden coin.

6. Fasting ends either on the eve or on the day of Easter. One should go to church, attend Holy Mass and end the fast with Holy Communion.

7. The church expects that during Great Lent fasting people will attend church intensively, attend the special Lenten evening services, and intensify their Bible reading and individual prayers.

8. It is also very important to refrain from harmful habits (e.g. smoking) at least during the Great Lent.

9. Weddings are not held in the church throughout Lent. It is also prohibited Madaghorhnutyun.

10. The Armenian communities and associations are asked not to organize social party events.


The Sundays of Lent

The Sundays of Lent are called as follows in the Armenian Church:

1st Sunday of the good life (poor. Բուն Բարեկենդան)
2nd Sunday of the Expulsion from Paradise (arm. Արտաքսման Կիրակի)
3. Sunday of the Prodigal Son (arm. Անառակ Որդիի Կիրակի)
4. Unfaithful steward's Sunday
5th Sunday of the Unjust Judge (arm. Անիրաւ Դատաւորի Կիրակի)
6. Sunday of the Lord's Coming