Understanding the Ethiopian Orthodox Fasting Calendar

Alright, so you wanna know when them Ethiopians start their fasting, huh? Well, lemme tell ya, it ain’t just one time a year, no sir. These folks, they take their fasting real serious, like. It’s a whole bunch of days, more than I can count on my fingers and toes, that’s for sure.

First off, they got this thing called Abiy Tsom, or Great Lent, as some fancy folks call it. That’s a big one, lasts for 55 days! Starts sometime in March and goes all the way till almost Easter. This year, I heard it was from March 3rd to April 19th, with Easter on May 5th. Now, that ain’t no easy fast, I tell ya. They’re real strict about it, no messing around. No eating this, no eating that, just prayers and plain food, I reckon.

Understanding the Ethiopian Orthodox Fasting Calendar

Then, it ain’t just that big fast. They got these other fast days too, every Wednesday and Friday, almost the whole year round! Except for after Easter, they get a little break then. Fifty days, they say, no fasting. But ‘cept for that, it’s Wednesday and Friday, like clockwork. Why? Well, they say Wednesday’s ’cause of that Judas fella, the one who betrayed Jesus. And Friday’s ’cause that’s when Jesus, well, you know… suffered, they say.

Now, some folks might say, “Why all this fasting?” Well, it ain’t just about the food, see? It’s about more than that. I heard someone say once, it’s about keepin’ your eyes from seein’ bad things, your ears from hearin’ bad things, and your mouth from sayin’ bad things. It’s about cleanin’ yourself up inside, not just outside. Makes sense, I guess.

  • Abiy Tsom (Great Lent): 55 days before Easter.
  • Wednesdays and Fridays: Most of the year, except for the 50 days after Easter.

They say there’s about 250 fast days in the whole year! Can you imagine? That’s a lot of days not eatin’ whatever you want. But they do it, them Ethiopians. They’re real committed, gotta give ’em that. It’s part of their church, see? The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, they call it. And they got their own calendar and rules, all set down in some old book, Fetha Negest, or somethin’ like that.

So, if you’re tryin’ to figure out when to fast with them, or maybe just avoid visitin’ when they’re all hungry and grumpy, you gotta keep track of their calendar. It ain’t the same as ours, you know. They got different dates for things. But those Wednesdays and Fridays, that’s a good rule of thumb. And that big Abiy Tsom, that’s somethin’ you gotta watch out for. It’s a long one, and they’re serious about it. Don’t go offerin’ ’em no meat or dairy then, they won’t be too happy, I tell ya.

Anyways, that’s the gist of it. They fast a lot, them Ethiopians. More than me, that’s for sure! But they got their reasons, and they stick to it. Gotta respect that, I reckon.

Understanding the Ethiopian Orthodox Fasting Calendar

Remember, fasting ain’t just about skipping a meal. It’s about somethin’ bigger, somethin’ deeper. At least, that’s what I’ve heard.

Tags:[Ethiopian Fasting, Abiy Tsom, Great Lent, Orthodox Tewahedo, Fasting Calendar, Wednesday Fast, Friday Fast, Ethiopian Church]

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