Orthodox Fasting Calendar 2026
Following the Typikon of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
No meat, dairy or eggs; fish, oil and wine are allowed.
Today, Friday 2 October, is a fast day: fish allowed. The next long fast is The Nativity (Christmas) Fast, from 15 November 2026 to 24 December 2026 (40 days). October 2026 has 9 fast days.
The fasts of 2026
| ✝️ Great Lent | 23 February – 11 April | 48 days |
| ⛵ The Apostles' (Peter and Paul) Fast | 8 June – 28 June | 21 days |
| 🌸 The Dormition Fast | 1 August – 14 August | 14 days |
| ⭐ The Nativity (Christmas) Fast | 15 November – 24 December | 40 days |
Easter: 12 April 2026 · memorial Saturdays: 14 February, 30 May, 7 November
How strict is each day?
- No fast
No fasting — all foods are allowed.
- No meat
Cheesefare week before Lent: no meat, but fish, eggs, cheese and milk are allowed.
- Fish
No meat, dairy or eggs; fish, oil and wine are allowed.
- Oil
Plant food cooked with oil, and wine; no fish.
- Strict
Plant food without oil (and no wine).
- No food
Nothing is eaten; the infirm and elderly may have bread and water.
Fasting calendar by year
Frequently asked questions
Is today a fast day?
Today, Friday 2 October, is a fast day: fish allowed.
When does the Nativity Fast start in 2026?
The Nativity (Christmas) Fast in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church runs from 15 November to 24 December 2026 — 40 days. In its first week (15–22 November) and from 20 to 24 December only plant food with oil is eaten; on the other days fish is allowed except on Wednesdays and Fridays. Fish is also allowed on the Entry of the Theotokos (21 November) and on St Nicholas (6 December).
When is Great Lent in 2027?
In 2027 Great Lent begins on Clean Monday, 15 March 2027, after Cheesefare Sunday (14 March 2027), and lasts until Holy Saturday — Orthodox Easter is on 2 May 2027.
What do Orthodox Christians eat on a fast day?
No meat, milk, dairy or eggs. Depending on the day, fish is allowed (with oil and wine), or only plant food cooked with oil, or — on strict days — plant food without oil. Snails, mussels and octopus count as fasting food. Nothing at all is eaten on Good Friday.
Why fast on Wednesdays and Fridays?
Wednesday recalls the betrayal of Christ and Friday His Passion and death. Outside the long fasts the Bulgarian Orthodox Church allows fish on these days. They are not kept during the fast-free weeks: Christmas to 4 January, the week after the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, Cheesefare week (meat only), Bright Week and the week after Pentecost.
How many fast days are there in a year?
2026 has 184 fast days — the four long fasts, Wednesdays and Fridays the rest of the year, and the one-day fasts on 5 January, 29 August and 14 September.
Is there an Apostles' Fast in 2026?
Yes — from 8 June to 28 June (21 days). It starts on the Monday after All Saints' Sunday, so its length depends on the date of Easter; when Easter is very late (3–8 May) it disappears entirely in churches on the new calendar.
How strictly should I fast?
The calendar shows the general rules of the Bulgarian Orthodox Typikon for laypeople. How each person fasts is agreed with their confessor; the sick, pregnant and nursing women, children and travellers are given relief.
The calendar follows the general rules of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Typikon for laypeople and the relaxations marked in the official church calendar. Easter and the movable feasts are computed by the Orthodox Paschalion. How each person fasts is agreed with their confessor.