Christmas Fast is a penitential season for Eastern Christians (Orthodox & Eastern Catholics)

Excerpt of a radio interview with Fr. Andriy Chirovsky, Daily Double Radio Program with Chris DeSimone, 1030 KVOI AM The Voice, Tuscon, Arizona, USA, 18 December 2014.

In the Eastern Churches, it is not called advent, but called St. Philip's Fast lasts 40 days (November 28 to January 6)
40 is a number of fullness in the bible
Lent: texts, special liturgical services, pre-Christmas fast
Periodically we need to exercise
Apostles fast, Dormition fast
Copts of Egypt have more fast days than non-fast days. Throughout the year, Eastern Christians try to abstain from meat products on Wednesdays and Fridays
St. Phillip's Fast ends on Christmas Eve
Ukrainians developed a 12 course meal on Christmas Eve all without meat and dairy products. Borshch and varennyky are almost always served. The number 12 is another number of fullness
God: "I gave you simple instructions (10 steps) and you didn't want that. Then I sent 12 personal representatives, and that didn't work out."
Partakers of the divine nature. God became a human being so that human being can enter into the very life of God.
God's unconditional love: "You can do anything to me, and I will still love you. So deal with it"
Incarnation: "I'm going to become like you (human), so that you can be like me"
This is what Christmas is all about
We have forgotten restraint. We celebrate and shop now that by the time Christmas arrives for the actual feast, we're already stuffed
Eastern Christians - Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches - we don't sing Christmas carols before Christmas. This a penitential season. We are preparing for Christmas. Once Christmas comes then we celebrate for 40 days
Ukrainians (Eastern Christians) celebrate Christmas from Christmas morning, for 40 days, to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. The Righteous Simeon is waiting in the temple
Roman Catholics remove the Christmas tree quickly after Christmas and there is a bit of a let down. Eastern Christians practice restraint because there is purpose to it
The reason we have freewill is for us to learn how to exercise it and control it. We're in training, to learn how to learn

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