Fasting in Advent? Yea or Nay?

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PietroPaolo

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I’m considering fasting during this year’s Advent, at least on Fridays, similar to, but less severe than, what I do during Lent. I’ve heard from some that Advent isn’t a penitential season, so we shouldn’t fast. What do you think?
 
It’s usually best not to do what is not required unless directed to do so by a spiritual director. Why? Because we are setting ourselves up for failure and frustration. If we don’t keep the fast we feel we failed. And if we can’t keep it due to family obligations–so many parties are held between now and Christmas Day, then we get frustrated with ourselves and others. I’d ask my spiritual director or confessor before deciding to fast or abstain during Advent.
 
I am fasting during Fridays on bread and water. I do this year round.
 
PietroPaolo said:
I’m considering fasting during this year’s Advent, at least on Fridays, similar to, but less severe than, what I do during Lent. I’ve heard from some that Advent isn’t a penitential season, so we shouldn’t fast. What do you think?
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We should fast, but there is nothing in the bible that speaks of a fasting season before christmas (which itself is a pagan holiday as Jesus was not born in December) Nor is theer biblically speaking a Lenten season before Easter. That is actually a pagan practice. YES, Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights but He did it only once.
We can otherwise fast any time we want. It doesnt have to be certain prescribed times.
 
Truth1611 said:
We should fast, but there is nothing in the bible that speaks of a fasting season before christmas (which itself is a pagan holiday as Jesus was not born in December) Nor is theer biblically speaking a Lenten season before Easter. That is actually a pagan practice. YES, Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights but He did it only once.
We can otherwise fast any time we want. It doesnt have to be certain prescribed times.
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Thanks for the answer. Of course, you are wrong on so many levels in such a short post, but I appreciate you taking time to answer me. I’d answer you in more depth, but I’d rather not sidetrack my thread. Perhaps you could start a thread on Jesus not being born on X-Mas (He was, BTW, and we can know that from the Bible not just tradition) or on Christian holidays being pagan (a silly, though frequent claim) if you are more interested in those topics.

God bless.
 
I’m Byzantine and our Advent is 40 days and does consist of fasting. It’s called Phillip’s Fast or the Nativity Fast.

(Being pregnant with borderline gestational diabetes means I can’t do the traditional fast but I can still focus on increasing my prayer and giving up excesses.) I did a stricter form of the fast last year (not full on vegan but close) and it was amazingly beneficial both physically and spiritually!
 
Hi PietroPaolo,

Advent is definitely a penitential season. But you are not required to fast.

That being said, there’s nothing wrong with fasting (i.e. extra credit), but you may want to seek the counsel of a priest just to be safe.

Hope that helps!
 
Yea. Fasting from all unnecessary eating and chatting. focusing on Christ, praying to do His will in all things. Giving thanks for His love and mercy.
 
Well, that’s easier to do if you don’t have several social engagements to go to. 😉 My dh and I usually have only two such occasions at this time of year, but not this year. We have a baby shower and a retirement party plus Christmas parties we are obligated to attend. I wish we could abstain from all unnecessary chatting and eating, but the fates are against us this year. 😃
 
Advent is historically a time of penance, which is why the liturgical colors for Advent and Lent are the same.

There are three major factors in the penance having been forgotten:

Advent is a much shorter season.

It does not begin in a mournful fast day as does Lent.

And in North America (and possibly to a lesser extent Europe – haven’t been there in winter), it conflicts with the holiday merchandising and party season.

That said, there is absolutely no reason not to do penance on ANY day that is not a Church feast, if the Spirit leads you.

I’m probably not going to fast, though. Our bodies require more caloric when the weather is cold. And in the conventional party season, fasting is almost sure to fail.

A good alternative penance is IMNAAHO to buck the general culture and, to the extent possible, defer the actual celebration to Christmas itself. Too many fellow sinners, having lived it up through Advent, are weary of Christmas on 12/26. Hold off and prepare spiritually in Advent, and be ready for all 12 days!

ICXC NIKA.
 
Yes, we try to celebrate Advent in our house until Christmas Eve. We put up our tree but we decorate it in purple and then rose on Guadete Sunday not putting on Christmas decorations until Christmas Eve. And we have an Advent Wreath on our dining table. We have no kids, only cats, so it’s not such a problem to keep the seasons intact.
 
I think that fasting should be considered more of a spiritual discipline than an act of pennance. It helps bring our bodies and minds subject to Gods will and not our own. If we fail in our attempts, it only underscores our utter dependence on Gods mercy and grace. If there were ever a time to fast, it would surley be in this time of parties festivities etc. when we usually eat and drink too much anyway.
 
I already have a year-round fasting routine that my doctor has advised against making more rigorous, but I’m also not going to relax it during Advent.
Della said:
We have no kids, only cats, so it’s not such a problem to keep the seasons intact.
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Keeping the decorations intact could be another issue 😉 Love the idea of the violet-then-rose decorated tree. Might give that a go myself 👍
 
I am going to fast on both food (Fridays) and activities that are essentially a waste of time and an addiction (internet primarily). I will also pray the Rosary daily, which is something I normally fail at but want to make a regular practice. I find that when I am in tune with the tone of Advent that my Christmas is much more meaningful.
 
PietroPaolo said:
I’m considering fasting during this year’s Advent, at least on Fridays, similar to, but less severe than, what I do during Lent. I’ve heard from some that Advent isn’t a penitential season, so we shouldn’t fast. What do you think?
Click to expand...
The Christian life is supposed to be one of repentance, so there isn’t a time of the year that is for repentance and penance as opposed to another. We are constantly in a state of change, that is the way of human life. Repentance is an about face change. It is a change for the better. It is a chance to turn toward God. That is something that should be done daily. What fasting does is it points you in the state of mind of repentance. It also clears your mind for prayer.

The Eastern Churches all fast during advent, some longer than others. The traditional Maronite fast is for two weeks before Christmas, and it is abstinence from all meat, dairy, alcohol. The Byzantines traditionally fast from the feast of st. Nicholas (mid november) I think until Christmas. It is a 40 day fast.
 
Della said:
It’s usually best not to do what is not required unless directed to do so by a spiritual director. Why? Because we are setting ourselves up for failure and frustration. If we don’t keep the fast we feel we failed. And if we can’t keep it due to family obligations–so many parties are held between now and Christmas Day, then we get frustrated with ourselves and others. I’d ask my spiritual director or confessor before deciding to fast or abstain during Advent.
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So you shouldn’t fast except for 1 hour before recieving communion on Sundays, and on ash wednesday and Fridays of lent? Anything more is unwise unless directed to by a spiritual advisor.
 
jimmy said:
The Byzantines traditionally fast from the feast of st. Nicholas (mid november) I think until Christmas. It is a 40 day fast.
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Our Nativity Fast starts on November 15 which is the day after the feast of St Philip. This is why it is also called St Philip’s Fast. Like the West, we celebrate the feast of St Nicholas on December 6. 🙂
 
Zekariya said:
Our Nativity Fast starts on November 15 which is the day after the feast of St Philip. This is why it is also called St Philip’s Fast. Like the West, we celebrate the feast of St Nicholas on December 6. 🙂
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St. Nicholas sounded wrong. Thanks for the correction.
 
UpUpAndAway said:
I already have a year-round fasting routine that my doctor has advised against making more rigorous, but I’m also not going to relax it during Advent.
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As a diabetic I can no longer fast/abstain from food like I did when I was a young woman. So, I give up other pleasurable things for my fasts and penances.
Keeping the decorations intact could be another issue 😉 Love the idea of the violet-then-rose decorated tree. Might give that a go myself 👍
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Yes, we have a squirt bottle handy during the holidays to keep our cats from getting into things, the little scamps. And we cannot have any kind of open flames with them around, either, so we use battery operated candles, for which I am truly grateful.

One year I asked a store clerk if they had purple decorations. She said, “Oh that sounds nice” meaning instead of the usual red and green. I explained it was for Advent. She’d never heard of the season so I told her what it was. She reacted like I’d told her about some odd religious thing from some far off place, like Mars. LOL! Poor thing–to be deprived of celebrating all the Church seasons. I had to pity her.
 
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