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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 69948, member: 636"] A 40-day Christmas fast began for Orthodox Christians, a period preceding the Nativity of Christ. During this time, participants abstain from meat, dairy, eggs, and related products, with fish permitted only on Saint Nicholas Day. Metropolitan Grigoriy of Vratsa explained that the observance is not a diet but a form of spiritual discipline. He emphasized that its purpose involves adhering more strictly to divine commandments, encouraging self-improvement, mercy, and a focus on spiritual matters over material concerns. The fast serves as an appropriate preparation for the upcoming holiday. The Metropolitan also noted that even Jesus Christ fasted, referencing the biblical account of Christ fasting in the desert before starting his work of salvation for humanity. [/QUOTE]