It is Lent Season, both Western and Eatern, is anyone else participating in the celebration? In Ethiopian christianity, Lent is accompanied by fasting:
Fasting
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Christians do not eat meat and diary products (i.e. egg, butter, milk, and cheese) on
fasting days. According to the
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church belief, the faithful must abstain from eating meat and diary products to attain forgiveness of sins committed during the year, and undergo a rigorous schedule of prayers and atonement. However, the sick, travellers and the weak may be exempt from or reduce the
fasting periods but if they want to observe the
fasting, they can fast the whole or part of the
fasting periods. As for those who observe the
fasting periods, they will continue to do this through out their life or as long as they are able to do without restrictions.
Church services are held daily in all
Orthodox Tewahedo Churches from morning to 3 PM (9 o'clock in the afternoon
Ethiopian time). Only one meal is allowed during the
fasting days and the fist meal is taken after 3 PM (9 o'clock in the afternoon
Ethiopian time), except Saturdays and Sundays, where a meal is allowed after the morning service.
The
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Christian
fasting periods are:
- all Wednesdays and Fridays except the 50 days between Easter and Pentecost.
- Tsome Neviyat (the fast of the Prophets known as Advent): 43 days fasting before Christmas which starts from 15 November to 28 December Ethiopian Calendar.
- Tsome Gahad (The Vigils): one day fasting which takes place on Christmas eve i.e. 28 December Ethiopian calendar and the day preceeding before Epiphany i.e. 10 January Ethiopian Calendar.
- Tsome Nenewe (the fast of Nineveh): 3 days fasting which starts on the Monday proceeding before Abye Tsome (Lent).
- Abye Tsome or Hudade (Lent): 55 days Fasting before Easter which is divided in to the following three categories:
- Tsome Hirkan: 8 days fasting which starts 8 days proceeding before Tsome Arba.
- Tsome Arba: 40 days fasting which starts immediately after Tsome Hirkan up to Palm Sunday.
- Tsome Himamat: 7 days fasting which starts on the Monday after Palm Sunday until Easter
- Tsome Hawaryat (the fast of the Apostles): begins on the day following Pentecost until 5 July Ethiopian calendar.
- Tsome Filseta (the fast of the Holy Virgin Mary): 15 days fasting which takes place from 1 - 15 August Ethiopian calendar.
Vegetarian meals such as lentils, ground split peas, grains, fruit, varieties of vegetable stew accompanied by injera and/or bread are only eaten during
fasting days. Meat and diary products are only eaten on feasting days i.e. Christmas, Epiphany, Easter and at all other times.
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Christians, Jews and Muslims do not eat pork