The Eastern Cross/Orthodox Calendar/Nativity Fast

The Nativity Fast 2026

When does the Nativity Fast start?

Forty days of preparation for Christmas: the dates, what you can eat on each day, and how to keep the fast well.

The fast begins

Sunday

November 15

Ends on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24 · Christmas is on Friday, December 25, 2026

–Days
–Hours
–Minutes

until the fast begins

See every day

I · Forty days to Bethlehem

What is the Nativity Fast?

The Nativity Fast is the season of preparation for Christmas, kept by Orthodox Christians from November 15 to December 24. Its forty days echo the forty days Moses fasted on Mount Sinai before he received the Law. The Church now fasts before receiving the Word of God Himself, born in the flesh.

It is often called St. Philip's Fast, because it begins the day after the feast of the Apostle Philip on November 14. In the Slavic lands it is Filippovka for the same reason.

The fast is old, and its length took a while to settle. For centuries it varied from place to place, from a single week in some regions to forty days in others. A council in Constantinople fixed it at forty days in 1166, and the monasteries carried that rule to the whole Orthodox world.

Its mood is gentler than Great Lent. The hymns of the season look ahead with joy: from the feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos on November 21, the Church already sings "Christ is born, glorify Him!" Fish, wine and oil are allowed on many days, and the fast tightens only as Christmas draws near.

On the Old Calendar the same forty days fall on November 28 to January 6 of the civil calendar, and Christmas is celebrated on January 7. Use the switch above or below to see your dates.

II · Day by day

The 40 days, one by one

Every day of the fast 2026, coloured by what is allowed. Tap a day to see the rule and the saints. A gold dot marks a feast.

SMTWTFS
Fish, wine and oil Wine and oil Strict fast Feast, no fast Feast day

Day 1 of 40 · Sunday, November 15

Fish allowed

Nativity Fast: fish, wine and oil are allowed.

These follow the common practice of Greek and Russian parishes. Monasteries keep a stricter rule, and customs differ between parishes, so your priest's guidance always comes first. For every other day of the year, see the Orthodox Calendar.

III · At a glance

The rules at a glance

Meat, dairy and eggs are set aside for the whole fast. What changes from day to day is fish, wine and olive oil. The two most common patterns look like this.

Greek practice

Common practice in Greek and many Antiochian parishes

  • Nov 15 to Dec 17: fish, wine and oil are allowed, except on Wednesdays and Fridays.
  • Wednesdays and Fridays: a strict fast, with no fish, wine or oil.
  • Dec 18 to 23: fish is set aside. Wine and oil only, and Wednesday and Friday stay strict.
  • Dec 24: a strict fast until the evening. Wine and oil if it falls on a weekend.
  • Nov 21, the Entrance of the Theotokos: fish is allowed, whatever the day.
  • St. Andrew, St. Nicholas and St. Spyridon: wine and oil, even on a Wednesday or Friday.

Russian practice

Common practice in Russian and many Slavic parishes

  • Until St. Nicholas (Dec 6): fish on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
  • Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: no fish, wine or oil.
  • Dec 7 to 19: fish only on Saturdays and Sundays. Wine and oil on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
  • Dec 20 to 23: no fish at all. Wine and oil only on weekends and on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
  • Dec 24: a strict fast until the evening. Wine and oil if it falls on a weekend.
  • Nov 21 and Dec 6: fish is allowed for the feasts.

The Typikon itself is stricter: fish only on Saturdays and Sundays, with wine and oil on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Monasteries and many devout families keep it.

Need ideas for the table? See what to eat when you fast, with 161 foods you can check one by one, and 227 fasting recipes for the whole fast.

IV · Along the way

Feasts along the way

The fast is full of beloved saints. These are the days most parishes mark between November and Christmas.

  1. Nov14

    Apostle Philip

    Saturday. The fast begins the next day, which is why it is also called St. Philip's Fast.

  2. Nov15

    The fast begins

    Sunday. Forty days to the Nativity.

  3. Nov21

    The Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple

    Saturday. One of the twelve Great Feasts. Fish is allowed, and the Church first sings "Christ is born, glorify Him!"

  4. Nov30

    Apostle Andrew the First-called

    Monday. The first disciple called by Christ, patron of Patras and Constantinople.

  5. Dec6

    St. Nicholas of Myra

    Sunday. The beloved wonderworker. Fish is allowed in many traditions.

  6. Dec12

    St. Spyridon of Trimythous

    Saturday. Shepherd, bishop and wonderworker of Corfu.

  7. Dec13

    Sunday of the Holy Forefathers

    Sunday. Two Sundays before Christmas: the righteous of the Old Testament who waited for Christ.

  8. Dec20

    Sunday of the Holy Fathers

    Sunday. The Sunday before Christmas: the ancestors of Christ in the flesh, from Adam to Joseph.

  9. Dec20

    The Forefeast of the Nativity begins

    Sunday. The hymns turn fully to Bethlehem, and in Russian practice fish is set aside.

  10. Dec24

    The Eve of the Nativity

    Thursday. Royal Hours in the morning and a strict fast for the day.

  11. Dec25

    The Nativity of Christ

    Friday. Christ is born! Glorify Him!

V · The last day

Christmas Eve

The Eve of the Nativity is the strictest day of the fast. In the morning the Royal Hours are read, and the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is served with Vespers. When the Eve falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the Royal Hours move to the Friday before, and the Liturgy of St. Basil is served on Christmas Day itself.

Many families keep a pious custom of eating nothing until the first star appears in the evening sky, in memory of the star over Bethlehem. The services ask only that the fast be kept until after the Vespers and Liturgy, so the first star is a family custom, kept as strength allows.

The Slavic Holy Supper

Ukraine, Belarus, Rusyn and Slovak lands

  • A meatless supper, often of twelve dishes for the twelve Apostles
  • Kutia, wheat with honey, poppy seeds and nuts, is the first and central dish
  • Hay under the tablecloth for the manger, and a candle for the star

Russia

Sochelnik, "the day of sochivo"

  • Named for sochivo, grains of wheat or rice soaked and sweetened with honey
  • A simple, quiet meal after the evening services
  • The All-Night Vigil of the feast follows

Greece and Cyprus

Christmas Eve and the night of the feast

  • Children go door to door singing the kalanta, the Christmas carols
  • Christopsomo, "Christ's bread", is baked and decorated with a cross
  • The fast is broken after the Christmas morning Liturgy with a family feast

VI · Practical

Keeping the fast well

The fast is a means, and the food is only part of it. The Fathers always pair fasting with prayer and almsgiving.

  1. Talk to your priestBefore the fast, ask how to keep it in your situation. Children, the sick, pregnant and nursing mothers, and those with medical needs usually keep a lighter fast, with a blessing.
  2. Plan your mealsFasting is much easier with a few go-to dishes: lentil soup, bean stews, pasta with tomato sauce, roast vegetables, and fish on the days it's allowed.
  3. Go to confessionMany Orthodox Christians go to confession during the fast so they can receive Communion at Christmas.
  4. Give something awayThe money saved by eating simply is traditionally given to the poor. The season of the fast is a season of generosity.
  5. Add a little prayerA few extra minutes each day: the Psalms, the Gospel of the day, or the Jesus Prayer.
  6. Be gracious at partiesDecember is full of Christmas parties that come before Christmas. Eat what you can with thanks, keep it quiet, and never judge how others are keeping the fast.
“Do you fast? Give me proof of it by your works! … If you see a poor man, take pity on him.”St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Statues 3

VII · The greeting

"Christ is born!" in many languages

From Christmas until the Theophany, Orthodox Christians greet each other with words drawn from the Christmas canon. Tap one to copy it.

VIII · Questions

Questions

When does the Nativity Fast start in 2026?

On the New Calendar the Nativity Fast begins on Sunday, November 15, 2026 and ends on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24. On the Old Calendar it runs from Saturday, November 28 to Wednesday, January 6, 2027, and Christmas is celebrated on January 7.

Is fish allowed during the Nativity Fast?

On most days, yes. In Greek parishes fish is allowed every day from November 15 to December 17 except Wednesdays and Fridays. In many Russian parishes fish is allowed on Tuesdays, Thursdays and weekends until St. Nicholas on December 6, and then only on weekends. In the last days before Christmas fish is set aside in both traditions.

Why is the Nativity Fast 40 days long?

The forty days recall the forty days Moses fasted on Mount Sinai before receiving the Law. The length varied from place to place for centuries until a council in Constantinople fixed it at forty days in 1166. It begins the day after the feast of the Apostle Philip, so it is also called St. Philip’s Fast.

Is the Nativity Fast as strict as Great Lent?

It is lighter. Meat, dairy and eggs are set aside for all forty days, but fish, wine and oil are allowed on many days, and the hymns of the season are joyful. It becomes stricter in the final week before Christmas, and Christmas Eve is a strict fast day.

What about American Thanksgiving?

On the New Calendar, Thanksgiving falls in the Nativity Fast, and on both Greek and common Russian parish rules the Thursday is a fish day, so many Orthodox families serve fish and vegetable dishes. On the Old Calendar it comes before the fast begins. Some parishes give a blessing to ease the fast for the meal. Ask your priest what your parish does.

Do children, the sick and pregnant women have to fast?

They usually keep a lighter fast with their priest’s blessing. The fast exists to help us draw closer to God, and it should never harm anyone’s health. Talk to your priest about what is right for you.

Does New Year’s Day fall in the fast on the Old Calendar?

Yes. For Churches on the Old Calendar, January 1 on the civil calendar is December 19 on the church calendar, so it falls in the last stretch of the Nativity Fast. Many families mark New Year’s with a lenten table and save the feasting for Christmas on January 7.

IX · Sources

Sources and further reading

Where this page’s history, rules and customs come from. The day-by-day rules are calculated with the same engine as our Orthodox Calendar.

History and meaning

The rules of fasting

Christmas Eve

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