Every pious Orthodox Christian is committed to fasting. In addition to many days of abstinence for the Christian, there is a fast on every Wednesday and Friday throughout the year (except for solid weeks - Trinity, Svetlana, Svyatok, the week before Maslenitsa and Pancake Week itself).
The practice of abstaining a Christian from animal foods on Wednesday and Friday dates back to the first centuries of Christianity. It must be understood that fasting for the Orthodox includes not only tasting certain foods, but also the memory of the great events of New Testament history.
So, on Wednesday, Orthodox fasting in memory of the betrayal of Jesus Christ by Judas. The New Testament Scripture announces that it was on the Wednesday before the Passover that Judas Iscariot sold Christ for thirty pieces of silver to the Pharisees and Jewish legal teachers. On this day, an Orthodox person fasts in memory of this mournful event.
Biblical history also determines why the Orthodox fast on Friday. It was on this day of the week that the death of the Lord Jesus occurred. On Friday Christ was crucified. According to the teachings of the Church, it was on this day that the Savior of the world died for the sins of all mankind. A pious Christian must remember the price at which he was saved. Therefore, Friday for the Orthodox is a time of special physical and mental abstinence.
It should be noted that the church charter stipulates a different degree of abstinence on Wednesdays and Fridays. So, if these days fall on multi-day posts, it is forbidden to eat fish. On Wednesdays and Fridays that fall outside fasting, eating fish is allowed.
