Is it possible to have a wedding during the Assumption Fast?
A wedding is one of the most important episodes in a person’s life, but there are days on which a wedding should not be scheduled. Church rules during fasting are often incompatible with the traditions of wedding celebrations.
Deeply religious people honor church canons. Fasting is, first of all, an opportunity to show love for the Creator and cleanse the soul of sin. Many people are interested in whether it is possible to have a wedding and receive the blessing of the Lord at such a significant time as the Dormition Fast.
Marriage in the Dormition Fast
People devoted to religion treat the holy Assumption Fast with all seriousness and responsibility. It is timed to coincide with the great Orthodox celebration - the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. From August 14 to 28, all Christians adhere to abstinence not only physically, but also spiritually. The Orthodox Church recommends abstaining from any celebrations, which include marriage.
Christians pay tribute to the memory of the Mother of God, trying to renounce all worldly pleasures and temptations, since the Most Holy Theotokos, before her ascension to heaven, spent all her time reading prayers and adhered to the strictest abstinence.
Is it allowed to attend a wedding during Lent?
If you are invited to a wedding celebration during the Dormition Fast, you should be careful. Upsetting people close to you by not attending their wedding is not a very good act, but an indifferent attitude towards Orthodox foundations and traditions can adversely affect your future life and destiny.
The fundamental principles of religion cannot be violated, but you should not refuse to attend the holiday. You can attend the wedding briefly. Of course, while at the festival, it is not recommended to eat food that is prohibited during fasting or drink alcoholic beverages. On the eve of the wedding, pray to the Mother of God for people who decided to have a wedding during the Dormition Fast.
What to do if the wedding date cannot be postponed
If the date cannot be moved to another day, then you are allowed to sign at the registry office, but you will have to get married on another day, after the end of the fast. It is possible to postpone the wedding, and this is in no way prohibited, and is even encouraged by the church.
If you decide to have a wedding on the Dormition Fast, you should take care of those people who observe this fast. Try to do everything to ensure that the traditional Lenten food is present on the table so that the guests feel cozy and comfortable at your holiday.
Think about your wedding day in advance, study the wedding calendar for the year you are planning the celebration, and then you will be able to avoid an unwanted time for marriage. Remember that your future family life largely depends on your wedding date. We wish you a great mood, strong love and faith. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and
Dormition Fast in August 2021 and its restrictions
The duration of the Assumption Fast is 14 days , and it lasts from August 14 to August 28. Every year its date remains the same. This fast is aimed at ensuring that every Orthodox believer has the opportunity to prepare for the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Dormition Fast is comparable to the Great Fast, and therefore its prohibitions are just as strict.
It is better not to have a wedding ceremony during these 14 days for those who are Orthodox believers, and especially for those who try to adhere to all the prohibitions and tasks that are worth doing. This is due to the fact that during this period the Most Holy Theotokos was preparing for her dormition, and therefore she prayed all the time. People at this moment should not have fun and engage in gluttony.
In ancient times, people did not hold any entertainment events during the Dormition Fast, and it was even better to get married in a church during a different period.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A WEDDING DURING ORTHODOX LENT?
Do weddings take place during Orthodox Lent? This is exactly what one of the most popular questions on wedding portals sounds like. It often happens that future newlyweds, most often far from the church and the Orthodox faith, have already managed to set a wedding date, order photo and video shooting, rent a hall, send out invitations... and then suddenly a grandmother living in another city exclaims during a telephone conversation : “What are you talking about! Is it possible to have a wedding during Lent?!” Having laughed at the superstitious old woman at first, after a while the bride and groom begin, secretly from each other, to torment the Internet in order to clarify this important issue, because there is no smoke without fire. They are quite understandable, because marriage is a very important step, and no one wants to start their married life with some wrong, thoughtless actions.
Is a wedding during Lent a godly thing?
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Now is the time of Lent, which lasts from March 2 to April 18. The clergy officially declare that a wedding at this time categorically cannot be considered a godly affair. Celebrating such a celebration during a period when one should repent and abstain goes against all church commandments.
After all, weddings cannot be complete without fun and festivities; this is one of the most important days in the lives of many people. During Lent, such behavior is not approved; moreover, on these days, clergy recommend abandoning married life, so the ritual of the first wedding night will also grossly violate Orthodox foundations.
Additional troubles will arise due to the fact that among those invited, there will most likely be Orthodox believers who strictly adhere to the provisions of fasting. Newlyweds in such a situation are faced with a difficult choice: break the fast or refuse an invitation to the wedding. The danger is that a person faces great temptation. After all, he does not want to offend the newlyweds, but at the same time he strives not to violate the strict rules of fasting.
For a baptized Orthodox Christian, celebrating a wedding during any Lent, especially Great Lent, is considered a conscious sin for which one will have to answer before the Almighty. Even if young people sincerely love each other, this cannot be an excuse. It is better to wait a little, having a wedding right after Easter. You shouldn’t start your life together by introducing yourself into the temptation of others and sin.
Do weddings play a part in Lent? Weddings in the Orthodox Church
Oddly enough, but if different priests ask: Is it possible to have a wedding during Lent?, we can hear very different answers. Some priests believe that getting married during Orthodox Lent is possible if certain conditions are met, while others believe that it is absolutely not possible. There is only one thing they agree on in one hundred percent of cases: you cannot get married during Lent. The ban on weddings during Orthodox Lent is so strict that it does not fall within the competence of the priest directly. In those special cases when a wedding during Lent is a matter of life and death (for example, the groom is going into the army), the request is submitted to the ruling bishop, and only he can give permission to the priest to perform the wedding sacrament during Lent. But these are truly exceptional cases.
As for the decision whether to have a wedding during Lent (meaning the registration in the registry office and celebration) or not, here, perhaps, you should listen to your conscience, since there are no clear church instructions on this matter. In any case, if the decision “for” has already been made, then the priests recommend observing an important rule: there should be both fasting and fasting dishes on the table, so that your fasting relatives do not feel awkward. But if possible, it is better not to have a wedding during Lent.
Restrictions on holding a wedding during Orthodox Lent
To avoid getting into trouble when setting a wedding date, it is better to first look at the Orthodox calendar, which lists all Orthodox fasts.
Weddings are not celebrated on Great, Nativity, Dormition and Peter's fasts, as well as on the following days: on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, on the eve of the great and twelfth church holidays, on the eve of church holidays (check with the church), on the eve and on the days of the holidays of the Exaltation of the Honest and The Life-Giving Cross of the Lord (September 26 and 27) and the Beheading of John the Baptist (September 10 and 11).
In addition to these church fasts, weddings do not take place during holiday periods: Christmastide (January 7–19) and Holy Week (the week after Easter). But there is no reason to be upset: the rest of the time you will be happily married in any temple. Of course, you can violate this church instruction, but is it worth starting your family life with violations, especially if you are believers or have believing parents whom you do not want to upset? After all, the really urgent need to have a wedding while fasting arises very rarely.
Dormition Fast, what do we eat?
The nutrition of the Assumption Lent can be quite varied , despite the fact that it corresponds in its severity to Lent: eating fish is possible only a few times, and meat, dairy, as well as dishes containing such an ingredient as eggs are prohibited. However, even if you cannot imagine life without foods that are prohibited during this period, do not rush to despair and give up fasting! We have compiled a menu that will suit everyone's taste:
August 14 - hot dishes without butter. You can use sunflower or olive oil instead. Lenten soups, porridges, boiled or baked potatoes, vegetables and mushrooms. Drinks: tea, coffee, compotes, jelly. Consecrated honey may be consumed.
August 15 - uncooked plant foods, such as salads, raw vegetables, fruits and herbs, dried fruits, sprouted grains, unroasted nuts and seeds. Drinks: plain and herbal water, homemade lemonades, smoothies and freshly squeezed juices.
August 16 - hot dishes without butter. You can use sunflower or olive oil instead. Lenten soups, porridges, boiled or baked potatoes, vegetables and mushrooms. Drinks: tea, coffee, compotes, jelly. Consecrated honey may be consumed.
August 17 - uncooked plant foods, such as salads, raw vegetables, fruits and herbs, dried fruits, sprouted grains, unroasted nuts and seeds. Drinks: plain and herbal water, homemade lemonades, smoothies and freshly squeezed juices.
August 18 - hot dishes without butter. You can use sunflower or olive oil instead. Lenten soups, porridges, boiled or baked potatoes, vegetables and mushrooms. Drinks: tea, coffee, compotes, jelly. Consecrated honey may be consumed.
August 19 is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Apple Savior), which allows for significant relaxations in the control of fasting. We can safely use butter, eggs, fish and seafood in preparing dishes. Not only baked and boiled, but also fried foods are allowed. We also focus on apples in honey, or grapes.
August 20 - uncooked plant foods, such as salads, raw vegetables, fruits and herbs, dried fruits, sprouted grains, unroasted nuts and seeds. Drinks: plain and herbal water, homemade lemonades, smoothies and freshly squeezed juices.
August 21 - hot dishes without butter. You can use sunflower or olive oil instead. Lenten soups, porridges, boiled or baked potatoes, vegetables and mushrooms. Drinks: tea, coffee, compotes, jelly. Consecrated honey may be consumed.
August 22 - uncooked plant foods, such as salads, raw vegetables, fruits and herbs, dried fruits, sprouted grains, unroasted nuts and seeds. Drinks: plain and herbal water, homemade lemonades, smoothies and freshly squeezed juices.
August 23 - hot dishes without butter. You can use sunflower or olive oil instead. Lenten soups, porridges, boiled or baked potatoes, vegetables and mushrooms. Drinks: tea, coffee, compotes, jelly. Consecrated honey may be consumed.
August 24 - uncooked plant foods, such as salads, raw vegetables, fruits and herbs, dried fruits, sprouted grains, unroasted nuts and seeds. Drinks: plain and herbal water, homemade lemonades, smoothies and freshly squeezed juices.
August 25 - hot food with butter. Boiled plant foods are allowed, including those with the addition of oil: soups, porridges, potatoes (fried, boiled, baked), stewed and baked vegetables, mushrooms, bread. Allowed drinks: tea, coffee, compotes, jelly, decoctions, a little wine is allowed.
August 26 - hot food with butter. Boiled plant foods are allowed, including those with the addition of oil: soups, porridges, potatoes (fried, boiled, baked), stewed and baked vegetables, mushrooms, bread. Allowed drinks: tea, coffee, compotes, jelly, decoctions, a little wine is allowed.
August 27 - uncooked plant foods, such as salads, raw vegetables, fruits and herbs, dried fruits, sprouted grains, unroasted nuts and seeds. Drinks: plain and herbal water, homemade lemonades, smoothies and freshly squeezed juices.
Mother Matrona's instructions for all centuries - read .
