Orthodox Fasting Calendar: 2026–2027 Seasons

Start with the calendar your parish uses

Before reading a fasting symbol, check the year, church jurisdiction and calendar convention. A civil date such as January 7 can be Christmas in a parish using the Julian calendar and an ordinary January date in another parish. The difference changes the surrounding fasting schedule.

For daily readings, saints and fasting indications, use the GOARCH Online Chapel or your own jurisdiction’s calendar. GOARCH also offers a downloadable 2026–2027 ecclesiastical calendar. A parish bulletin can add local feast-day guidance that a general online calendar does not show.

Major seasons: late 2026 and 2027

The Apostles’ Fast varies because its beginning depends on Pascha while its end is a fixed feast. GOARCH’s 2027 Paschalion lists June 28 as its beginning and a duration of one day. An Old Calendar parish has a different civil end date.

Old Calendar fixed seasons

These civil equivalents apply the current thirteen-day difference to the Julian fixed dates. They do not move Pascha by thirteen days. For a fuller explanation, see why Orthodox Christmas appears on different civil dates.

Weekly fasts and fast-free periods

Wednesday and Friday are ordinarily fasting days, with exceptions in the Church year. Bright Week after Pascha and the week after Pentecost are among the fast-free periods. Special fast days include the Eve of Theophany, the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, and the Elevation of the Cross, on their respective church-calendar dates.

A seasonal table cannot tell you whether wine, oil or fish is allowed on every date. Local feasts and the calendar’s rubrics matter. Consult the OCA outline of fasting and fast-free seasons and the daily guidance of your parish.

Let the calendar serve prayer

A useful way to prepare is to mark the season’s beginning, speak with your priest, and decide on a modest prayer and act of mercy to accompany it. For the underlying purpose, read how Orthodox fasting rules work. For the approaching winter season, use the Nativity Fast guide.

Personal circumstances belong in that conversation. An online calendar cannot assess health, a household’s needs or a person’s relationship with food. Do not turn a general chart into a demanding personal diet. If a rule needs adapting, seek pastoral guidance and appropriate medical advice.