The Melkite Catholic Church observes fasting and abstinence on the following days and seasons:

Wednesdays & Fridays

Wednesdays and Fridays are days of abstinence. Meat and dairy are not eaten on Wednesdays in memory of the betrayal of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ by Judas. Fridays are days of abstinence from meat and dairy in memory of the Crucifixion. The faithful are encouraged to continue this pious practice.

The Great Fasts

• Great Lent

  • 40 days

  • Begins at vespers on evening of Cheesefare Sunday.

  • Ends just before the Vespers on the evening of the last Friday in Great Lent.

  • Monday - Friday we fast and abstain from meat, dairy, fish, wine, and olive oil.

  • Saturday + Sunday we abstain from meat, dairy, fish, wine, and olive oil, but we don’t fast.

• Great and Holy Week

  • 6 days

  • Begins just before the Vespers on Palm Sunday afternoon.

  • Ends just before Vespers on Great and Holy Saturday evening.

  • Monday - Friday we fast and abstain from meat, dairy, fish, wine, and olive oil.

  • Saturday + Sunday we abstain from meat, dairy, fish, wine, and olive oil, but we don’t fast.

• The Apostle’s Fast

  • Begins just before the Vespers on the evening of the First Sunday after Pentecost.

  • Ends just before the Vespers of the Feast of the Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Princes of the Apostles Peter and Paul on the evening of June 28th.

  • Monday - Friday we fast and abstain from meat and dairy.

  • Saturday + Sunday we abstain from meat and dairy, but we don’t fast.

• The Dormition Fast

  • Begins just before the Vespers of the Feast of the Procession of the Holy Cross on the evening of July 31st.

  • Ends just before Vespers of the Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos on the evening of August 14th.

  • Monday - Friday we fast and abstain from meat, dairy, fish, wine, and olive oil.

  • Saturday + Sunday we abstain from meat, dairy, fish, wine, and olive oil, but we don’t fast.

• The Nativity Fast

  • 40 days

  • Begins at the beginning of the Vespers on the evening of November 14th.

  • Ends just before Vespers of the Great Feast of the Nativity

    According to the Flesh of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ on the evening of December 24th.

  • Monday - Friday we fast and abstain from meat and dairy.

  • Saturday + Sunday we abstain from meat and dairy, but we don’t fast.