Orthodox fasting

[Cavaradossi]

Yes.

The Syriac Orthodox still do this. Interestingly, the Syriac Orthodox in Iraq have different rules than elsewhere; they do not fast on the Fridays between the Nineveh Fast (Jonah’s Fast) and the Great Fast. The Syriac Orthodox Church Eastern U.S. Archdiocese website mentions this, but doesn’t explain why it is so.

Yeah, this would not make sense for us, since we do not abstain from oil like you guys do, so there’s no difference to be observed in the first place. On the other hand, we don’t have cheesefare week like you guys do; we just have…lent that week. So I guess it sort of evens out somehow, maybe.

Plus, we get shellfish and squishy spineless sea-critters during our fast, so I suppose it does even out.