Palm Sunday — the Entrance into Jerusalem — April 5 (New Calendar)
Palm Sunday — the Entrance into Jerusalem — April 5 (Old Calendar)
The Annunciation of the Theotokos — April 7 (Old Calendar)
Great and Holy Friday — April 10 (New Calendar)
Great and Holy Friday — April 10 (Old Calendar)
PASCHA — The Resurrection of Christ — April 12 (New Calendar)
PASCHA — The Resurrection of Christ — April 12 (Old Calendar)
Day by day
Daily fasting rule, April 2026
Date
New Calendar
Old Calendar
Feast or commemoration
Wed
Strict fastGreat Lent
Strict fastGreat Lent
St. Mary of Egypt
Thu
Strict fastGreat Lent
Strict fastGreat Lent
St. Titus the Wonderworker
Fri
Strict fastGreat Lent
Strict fastGreat Lent
St. Nicetas the Confessor
Sat
Wine & oil permittedGreat Lent
Wine & oil permittedGreat Lent
Lazarus Saturday (New)
Sun
Fish permittedHoly Week begins
Fish permittedHoly Week begins
Palm Sunday — the Entrance into Jerusalem (New)
Mon
Strict fastHoly Week
Strict fastHoly Week
St. Eutychius, Patriarch of Constantinople
Tue
Strict fastHoly Week
Fish permittedHoly Week
The Annunciation of the Theotokos (Old)
Wed
Strict fastHoly Week
Strict fastHoly Week
Apostles Herodion, Agabus and companions of the Seventy
Thu
Strict fastHoly Week
Strict fastHoly Week
Martyr Eupsychius of Caesarea
Fri
Strict fastHoly Week
Strict fastHoly Week
Great and Holy Friday (New)
Sat
Strict fastHoly Week
Strict fastHoly Week
Hieromartyr Antipas of Pergamum
Sun
Fast-freeBright Week
Fast-freeBright Week
PASCHA — The Resurrection of Christ (New)
Mon
Fast-freeBright Week
Fast-freeBright Week
Hieromartyr Artemon of Laodicea
Tue
Fast-freeBright Week
Fast-freeBright Week
St. Martin the Confessor, Pope of Rome
Wed
Fast-freeBright Week
Fast-freeBright Week
Apostles Aristarchus, Pudens and Trophimus
Thu
Fast-freeBright Week
Fast-freeBright Week
Virgin-martyrs Agape, Irene and Chionia
Fri
Fast-freeBright Week
Fast-freeBright Week
Hieromartyr Symeon of Persia
Sat
Fast-freeBright Week
Fast-freeBright Week
St. John, disciple of St. Gregory of Decapolis
Sun
No fast today
No fast today
St. John of the Ancient Caves
Mon
No fast today
No fast today
St. Theodore Trichinas
Tue
No fast today
No fast today
Hieromartyr Januarius and companions
Wed
Strict fast
Strict fast
St. Theodore the Sykeote
Thu
No fast today
No fast today
Great Martyr George the Trophy-bearer
Fri
Strict fast
Strict fast
Martyr Sabbas Stratelates
Sat
No fast today
No fast today
Apostle and Evangelist Mark
Sun
No fast today
No fast today
Hieromartyr Basil of Amasea
Mon
No fast today
No fast today
Hieromartyr Symeon, kinsman of the Lord
Tue
No fast today
No fast today
Apostles Jason and Sosipater
Wed
Strict fast
Strict fast
Apostles of the Seventy commemorated with Jason
Thu
No fast today
No fast today
Apostle James, brother of St. John the Theologian
Strict fastNo meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil — vegetables, grains and fruit. Simplicity as prayer.Wine & oil permittedWine and olive oil are permitted today. No meat, dairy, eggs or fish.Fish permittedFish is allowed today, with wine, oil, shellfish and all foods of the earth. No meat, dairy or eggs.Cheesefare — dairy permittedNo meat this week, but dairy, eggs and fish are welcome every day — even Wednesday and Friday.Fast-freeA fast-free period: the Church is feasting. All foods with gratitude.No fast todayAn ordinary day — eat with thanksgiving.
Follow your parish
These are the general fasting rules of the Orthodox Church, computed for both calendars. Local custom, age, health, pregnancy and your priest’s guidance come first — when in doubt, ask your priest.
Old and New Calendar
New Calendar (Revised Julian) churches — most Greek, Antiochian, OCA, Romanian and Bulgarian parishes — keep fixed feasts on the civil date. Old Calendar (Julian) churches — Russian, Serbian, Georgian and others — keep them 13 days later on the civil calendar. Pascha and the feasts that depend on it fall on the same day for both.