The Apostles’ Fast is a fasting season that begins the Monday after All Saints Sunday and runs through June 28th, the eve of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29th. Unlike Great Lent, which is always the same length, this fast changes every year. Its length depends on when Pascha falls.
Most folks in Southeast Texas have never heard of it. That’s because it’s not on the Protestant or Catholic calendar. But it’s one of the four major fasting seasons in the Orthodox Church, right alongside Great Lent, the Dormition Fast in August, and the Nativity Fast before Christmas.
Why We Fast After Pentecost
The timing matters. Pentecost has just happened. The Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles. The Church was born. And what did those first Christians do? They prayed and fasted as they prepared to go out and turn the world upside down. This fast connects us to that apostolic mission. We’re preparing to celebrate Peter and Paul, the chief Apostles, by following their example of prayer and self-denial.
The fast goes back to the early centuries of the Church. It wasn’t invented by some medieval monk trying to make life harder. It’s part of the rhythm the Church has kept for nearly two thousand years. The Apostles went out fasting. We remember them by fasting.
What the Fasting Rules Look Like
People get nervous here. The rules aren’t as strict as Great Lent, but they’re not nothing either. You’re abstaining from meat and dairy throughout the fast. That means no chicken, no cheese, no milk in your coffee.
Wednesdays and Fridays keep the typical strict rule: no fish, wine, or oil. On the other days the rule is lighter, with wine and oil, and fish on many days, though customs differ on the details. Still no meat or dairy. At St. Michael, oil and wine are allowed on fast days, Wednesdays and Fridays included; for the details on fish, ask Fr. Michael.
But talk to your priest. Fasting rules aren’t one-size-fits-all. If you’re pregnant, if you’re working twelve-hour shifts at the refinery, if you’ve got health issues, if this is your first time attempting an Orthodox fast, your priest can help you figure out what’s appropriate. The goal isn’t to make you miserable. It’s to train your will and draw closer to God.
How It Compares to Great Lent
Great Lent is the big one. It’s longer, more intense, and the whole liturgical life of the Church shifts during those forty days. Special services, the Lenten Triodion, a deeply penitential tone. The Apostles’ Fast doesn’t have all that. You’re still praying the normal cycle of services. The focus is different. Great Lent prepares us for Pascha, for Christ’s death and resurrection. The Apostles’ Fast prepares us to celebrate the men Christ sent out to preach the Gospel.
Think of it this way. Great Lent is boot camp. The Apostles’ Fast is more like staying in shape between deployments. It’s real, it matters, but it’s not the same level of intensity.
This Year’s Dates
Because Pascha moves, so does this fast. In 2025, the Apostles’ Fast started June 16th and ran thirteen days. In 2026, it started June 8th and lasted twenty-one days. Some years on the new calendar it’s barely more than a week. Other years it stretches almost a month. The OCA publishes the dates each year on their website, and your parish calendar should have them too.
If you’re just learning about Orthodoxy, don’t panic if you missed it this year. There’s always next year. And most converts don’t attempt all four fasting seasons right away. You learn gradually. Fasting is something you grow into, not something you white-knuckle through on sheer willpower.
What to Do During the Fast
Fast, obviously. But also pray more. Read about the Apostles. The Acts of the Apostles is the natural choice. Or pick up a book about Peter and Paul, their lives, their martyrdoms, their missionary journeys. Go to confession if it’s been a while. Increase your almsgiving. The point isn’t just to avoid cheeseburgers. The point is to become more like the Apostles, who gave up everything to follow Christ.
Some parishes will have extra services or study groups during this time. Ours might not, depending on the year and what else is happening. But the fast itself is the practice. You don’t need a special program. You need to actually do it.
The fast ends on June 28th, and the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29th is a big celebration. Liturgy, a feast meal, the whole thing. You’ve been fasting to prepare for that day, to honor the men who brought the Gospel to the ends of the earth and died for it. When you finally break the fast, you’ll understand why we did it. The feast tastes different after you’ve fasted for it.
