The Orthodox Church wrote that the Christmas fast is established so that believers can purify themselves with repentance, prayer and fasting, and with pure hearts, souls and bodies, in order to meet the Son of God who appeared in the world, offering him, instead of ordinary gifts and sacrifices, the pure heart of the believers and the desire for receiving His teaching.
The rules of restraint, prescribed by the Church in the Christmas fast, are the same as for the St.Peter's post. It is clear that meat, butter, milk, eggs, cheese are avoided at the time of fasting. In addition, the Constitution says that on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Christmas fast, no fish, wine and oil are eaten, and only food is allowed without oil.
On other days - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday is a vegetable oil food.
The fish during the Christmas fast is allowed on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as on big holidays, such as the holiday "Introduction to the Temple of the Virgin Mary", and also on churches holidays and the days of the great saints, but only if those holidays fall on Tuesday or Thursday. If the holiday falls on Wednesday or Friday, it is resolved on wine and oil.
From January 2nd to 6th, fasting is intensified and in those days, even on Saturday and Sunday, fish is forbidden according to the church rules.
