Orthodox Christians Begin 40-Day Lenten Fast in Greece

In Trikorfo, Greece, Orthodox Christians worldwide are observing a 40-day Lenten fast that began on February 23, adopting a largely plant-based diet to prepare spiritually for Easter on April 12. This annual ritual, followed by millions, prohibits meat, dairy, eggs, fish with backbones, and oil and wine on weekdays, promoting a Mediterranean-style focus on vegetables, legumes, and shellfish in majority-Orthodox nations like Greece.

The practice, often called fasting, emphasizes abstaining from specific foods rather than total deprivation, with rules flexible for individual needs. Unlike Catholic Lent, where participants choose personal sacrifices such as forgoing desserts or alcohol, Orthodox guidelines strictly limit animal products except for shellfish like shrimp, oysters, and calamari. Traditional Greek favorites, including moussaka and souvlaki, along with dairy and vertebrate fish, are off-limits during this period, which typically aligns later than Western Easter dates.

At the Monastery of St. Augustine and Seraphim, perched on a coastal hillside in central Greece, 40 black-robed monks adhere closely to these traditions. They cultivate their own gardens, yielding abundant...