The Longest Fast

Regarding Mary Rourke’s interesting article about Lent (“Giving It Up for Lent,” Feb. 13), I would like to make a clarification regarding the Russian Orthodox Lent tradition. Rourke lumps all Eastern Orthodox traditions together, when she describes Orthodox diet. In fact, the Russian Orthodox diet is much stricter. During the first two and the last day of Lent one should fast completely. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during Lent one should keep dry fast (nuts vegetables and fruit that require no cooking) and eat only once a day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, one still eats once a day but is allowed cooked food--it has to be strictly vegetarian (no animal or animal-based products of any type), prepared without any kind of oil. On Saturdays and Sundays, one can indulge in two strictly vegetarian hot meals with oil and on Palm Sunday, one is allowed some fish.

MARINA LUDWIGS

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