Orthodox Lent

About Orthodox Lent

How long until Orthodox Lent?
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Dates of Orthodox Lent
2026 InternationalFeb 23 International Mon, Feb 23Observances Holiday 2025 InternationalMar 3 International Mon, Mar 3Observances Holiday 2024 InternationalMar 18 International Mon, Mar 18Observances Holiday 2023 InternationalFeb 27 International Mon, Feb 27Observances Holiday 2022 InternationalMar 7 International Mon, Mar 7Observances Holiday
Summary
Great Lent marks the start of the Easter cycle in the Orthodox Christian Church

When is Great Lent?

Great Lent corresponds to Lent as found in Western Christianity, though the length of the periods are calculated in different ways.

They both use a period of 40 days between the beginning and end of Lent, because of the 40 days that Jesus is said to have spent fasting the desert. However, Western Christendom doesn't count Sundays because Jesus is recorded as having resurrected on a Sunday, whereas Eastern Orthodox churches do count Sundays.

The word "lent" is derived from the Anglo-Saxon 'lencten' which literally means "spring". 'Lencten' has a root in the Germanic word for long, which assigned itself to Spring as the days become longer.

In several countries, lent marks the start of spring. For example, in Greece, Clean Monday (Ash Monday) is taken to be the first day of spring.

In Greece and Cyprus, Lent is known as Saracosti, which comes from the word forty, which is the forty day period until Palm Sunday and then one more week until Easter Day making a total of 49 days of "fasting". The fasting is done so that the body and spirit are "cleansed" to prepare for accepting the Resurrection.

During Saracosti, no meat or dairy foods are eaten. Instead, Lenten food usually consists of plenty of olives, taramasalata, Halva, vegetables, legumes and seafood, such as calamari, octopus, shrimps, oysters, cuttlefish, mussels, lobsters etc. Fish is not allowed with the exception on two days: on the 25th of March (Annunciation of the Virgin Mary) and on Palm Sunday.

Key Dates in Great Lent

The Orthodox Easter period influences a range of festivals and events. The following is an overview of the events. Click the name of a holiday to read more about an individual event.

Event	2021	Remarks
Shrove Monday	March 2nd	Clean Monday begins the season of Great Lent in Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Good Friday	April 30th	Good Friday occurs on the Friday before Easter. The day commemorates the Crucifixion of Jesus.
Easter Sunday	May 2nd	Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead after his death by crucifixion
Pentecost Monday	June 21st	The day commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of flames to the Apostles, as recorded in the New Testament in Acts, 2.

All events on February 23rd 2026