Askesis / Fasting calendar
The dates of Great Lent, the Apostles’ Fast, the Dormition Fast and the Nativity Fast, for churches on the new calendar and on the old.
Pascha moves, so Great Lent and the Apostles’ Fast move with it. The Dormition and Nativity fasts sit on fixed church dates, which fall 13 days later on the civil calendar for parishes on the old (Julian) calendar. Both columns below are civil dates.
| New calendar | Old calendar | |
|---|---|---|
| Pascha (both calendars) | 12 April 2026 | 12 April 2026 |
| Great Lent (the forty days) | 23 February to 3 April 2026 | 23 February to 3 April 2026 |
| Apostles’ Fast | 8 June to 28 June 2026 | 8 June to 11 July 2026 |
| Dormition Fast | 1 August to 14 August 2026 | 14 August to 27 August 2026 |
| Nativity Fast | 15 November to 24 December 2026 | 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027 |
| New calendar | Old calendar | |
|---|---|---|
| Pascha (both calendars) | 2 May 2027 | 2 May 2027 |
| Great Lent (the forty days) | 15 March to 23 April 2027 | 15 March to 23 April 2027 |
| Apostles’ Fast | 28 June 2027 only | 28 June to 11 July 2027 |
| Dormition Fast | 1 August to 14 August 2027 | 14 August to 27 August 2027 |
| Nativity Fast | 15 November to 24 December 2027 | 28 November 2027 to 6 January 2028 |
| New calendar | Old calendar | |
|---|---|---|
| Pascha (both calendars) | 16 April 2028 | 16 April 2028 |
| Great Lent (the forty days) | 28 February to 7 April 2028 | 28 February to 7 April 2028 |
| Apostles’ Fast | 12 June to 28 June 2028 | 12 June to 11 July 2028 |
| Dormition Fast | 1 August to 14 August 2028 | 14 August to 27 August 2028 |
| Nativity Fast | 15 November to 24 December 2028 | 28 November 2028 to 6 January 2029 |
| New calendar | Old calendar | |
|---|---|---|
| Pascha (both calendars) | 8 April 2029 | 8 April 2029 |
| Great Lent (the forty days) | 19 February to 30 March 2029 | 19 February to 30 March 2029 |
| Apostles’ Fast | 4 June to 28 June 2029 | 4 June to 11 July 2029 |
| Dormition Fast | 1 August to 14 August 2029 | 14 August to 27 August 2029 |
| Nativity Fast | 15 November to 24 December 2029 | 28 November 2029 to 6 January 2030 |
| New calendar | Old calendar | |
|---|---|---|
| Pascha (both calendars) | 28 April 2030 | 28 April 2030 |
| Great Lent (the forty days) | 11 March to 19 April 2030 | 11 March to 19 April 2030 |
| Apostles’ Fast | 24 June to 28 June 2030 | 24 June to 11 July 2030 |
| Dormition Fast | 1 August to 14 August 2030 | 14 August to 27 August 2030 |
| Nativity Fast | 15 November to 24 December 2030 | 28 November 2030 to 6 January 2031 |
Pascha is the same day for almost every Orthodox church, so Great Lent and Holy Week fall on the same dates on both calendars. Great Lent here runs from Clean Monday to the Friday before Lazarus Saturday; Holy Week follows and has its own order for each day. The fast itself continues through Lazarus Saturday, Palm Sunday and Holy Week to Pascha. The Apostles’ Fast begins on the Monday after All Saints and ends on 28 June (church date), so in years when Pascha is late it is short (in some years a single day on the new calendar), and on the new calendar it can be absent altogether.
Some churches keep their own dates for the Apostles’ Fast and for the fast-free week after Pentecost. Your church’s calendar, or Askesis set to your church, gives them.
Beyond the four seasons, Wednesdays and Fridays are fast days through the year, outside the fast-free weeks. See the guide to the Wednesday and Friday fast.
Your priest’s guidance for you personally always comes first. This page states the general discipline of the Church.
Great Lent before Pascha, the Apostles’ Fast after Pentecost, the Dormition Fast of 1 to 14 August (church date) and the Nativity Fast from 15 November to 24 December (church date).
Yes. It starts on the Monday after All Saints, which depends on Pascha, and ends on 28 June (church date), so its length changes from year to year.
Churches on the old (Julian) calendar keep the fixed fasts 13 days later on the civil calendar than churches on the new (Revised Julian) calendar. Pascha is the same for both.
Why do Orthodox Christians fast? and How is Askesis checked?