Duration: August 1-14th
On Monday, August 15, we will celebrate the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary. In preparation for this great feast of the Mother of God, we observe a two-week period of fasting from August 1-14.
We begin August with the final fasting season in the Liturgical year, Dormition Fast. But why do we fast? We fast, not to get what we want, but to prepare ourselves to receive what God wants to give us. Fasting is intended to bring us to the realization of “the one thing needful.” It is to help us put God first and our own desires second, if not last. It also serves to prepare us to be instruments of God’s will, as with Moses in his flight from Egypt and on Mt. Sinai, as well as our Lord’s fast in the wilderness. Fasting turns us away from ourselves and toward God. It helps us become more like the Theotokos, an obedient servant of God, who heard His word and kept it better than anyone else has or could.
Check out these Blogposts relevant during the Dormition Fast:
What is the Dormition?
It is the falling-asleep of Mary, and translation into life which is celebrated on August 15th
So why do we fast before Dormition?
I love this analogy: In a close-knit family, word that its matriarch is on her deathbed brings normal life to a halt. Otherwise important things (parties, TV, luxuries, personal desires) become unimportant; life comes to revolve around the dying matriarch. It is the same with the Orthodox family; word that our matriarch is on her deathbed, should have a similar affect on us.
The Church, through the Paraklesis Service, gives us the opportunity to come to that deathbed and focus on the woman who bore God, the vessel of our salvation. She is our advocate in heaven, and one we can ask for to intercede for us.
Source: Antiochian Archdiocese
General Fasting Guidelines:
Following are the fasting guidelines for the Dormition Fast for this year. The guidelines in this meal plan are general. Fasting is a spiritual discipline that should be practiced with the oversight and direction of your spiritual father. If you have any specific questions about how the fasting discipline applies to you, you should consult your spiritual father. In general, the fasting rules during the Dormition Fast are as follows:
The general guidelines for the Dormition Fast are as follows:
WEEKDAYS are Strict Fast Days. On these days we abstain from meat, dairy, fish with backbones, fowl, wine, and oil.
SATURDAYS and SUNDAYS are Wine and Oil Days. On these days the fast is relaxed to permit wine and oil, but we still abstain from meat, dairy, fish with backbones, and fowl.
The one exception to these general rules is that the Great Feast of the Holy Transfiguration of our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ (August 6), which always falls during the Dormition Fast, is celebrated as a Fish, Wine, and Oil Day. On this great feastday, the fast is relaxed to permit fish with backbones in addition to wine and oil, but we still abstain from meat, dairy, and fowl.
Here’s an idea for you to celebrate the Feast of the Dormition of the Theokotos. Consider hosting a Dormition tea in honor of the Theokotos! This can be done before or after the feast - so you’ll need to adjust the menu depending on if it’s fasting or not.