The great Lent has been established in the first centuries of christianity in memory of Jesus Christ’s forty-day Lent in desert.
It begins with «clean Monday»: the name was fixed owing to custom “to clean” the house from the pancake week which have come to the end on the eve. So, it was customary to go to a bath to start the Great Lent cleared spiritually, «to rinse teeth» (i.e. to drink vodka, “washing away” the rests of pancakes from a mouth).
Except Palm Sunday, five Sundays remains in all Great Chetirohdesyatnitza (four tens), each of which is devoted to special memoirs.
Divine service during this period differs that, in continuation of all Great Lent on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays there is no liturgy (if holiday does not happens on these days), and they read and sing Hours.
Friday of the first week differs by especial service (Feodora Tirona memory and Koliv blessing); on Thursday of the fifth week — they read Maria Egyptian life and sing the Great canon; on Saturday of the fifth week they praise the Blessed Virgin. In Catholic church the Chetirohdesyatnitza begins with the middle of week of the Great Lent, the ashy Wednesday (Aschermittwoch, Mercredi des Cendres), named so because of custom (entered by daddy Grigory Velikim) to strew a head with ashes at the divine service.
As to a feed, in opinion of the church, it is un necessary to starve itself. All the more, various chronic diseases, including digestive system in this case can aggravate. However if you are going to observe the Lent not only as “unloading” an organism after winter gluttony, it is necessary to limit the peep quantity. Replacement of meat in the threefold portions of a porridge and vegetables will not help to spiritual clarification.
During the Great Lent there are every possible groats, bread, mushrooms, a soya, bean, fruit, vegetables in people ration. On sweet — honey, dried fruits, sugar. Thus it is possible to compensate the lack of carbohydrates by rye bread, potato, beet, rice, buckwheat; the lack of fibers — by mushrooms, peas, string bean, lentil.
The church calls the true believers to prepare products for the Lent in advance: to reserve jam, potato, string bean, beans, peas, pickles from vegetables (cucumbers, vegetable marrows, tomatoes, cabbage). And to grow up greens at apartment window already during a Lent.
If you feel the vitamin insufficiency, physicians advise to take vitamins during the Lent- usual or with microelement.
