Living the Faith · November 12, 2026

Ethiopian Orthodox Fasting Rules: The Seven Fasts and What They Involve

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church keeps seven fasts, from weekly Wednesdays and Fridays to the 55 days of Great Lent. Fasting means eating no animal products and, on most fast days, nothing at all until midday or later. Together the fasts cover around half the year, and details vary, so believers follow their priest's guidance.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church keeps seven fasts each year: Great Lent, the fast of Nineveh, the Apostles’ fast, the fast of the Assumption, the Advent fast, the eves of Christmas and Epiphany, and the weekly Wednesday and Friday fasts. On a fast day believers eat no animal products, and on most fast days they take no food or drink until midday or later. Together these fasts cover around half of the year.

Fasting is one of the most visible parts of Ethiopian Orthodox life. Restaurants in Ethiopia serve “fasting food” on Wednesdays and Fridays, and whole families change how they cook for weeks at a time. This article explains the main fasts in plain terms. It is a general guide, not a rulebook: customs differ between regions and parishes, and personal questions belong with your priest.

What does fasting mean in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church?

The Amharic word for fasting is tsom (Ge’ez ṣom). In the Church’s teaching, fasting is not a diet. It is a way of turning the whole person back to God through repentance, prayer and generosity to others.

Christ Himself taught His followers how to fast, telling them not to make a show of it but to fast before their Father “who is in secret” (Matthew 6:16-18). The Church sees its fasting rules as part of Holy Tradition, handed down from the early Church and shaped over centuries in Ethiopia.

What do you avoid on a fast day?

Two things usually make up an Ethiopian Orthodox fast:

• No animal products. Meat, poultry, milk, butter, cheese and eggs are set aside. Meals are built on grains, lentils, chickpeas, vegetables and oil, which is why Ethiopian cooking has so many rich vegan dishes.
• Waiting to eat. On most fast days, people take no food or drink until a set hour, commonly around midday, and later in the afternoon during Great Lent. The exact hour is a matter of local custom.

Whether fish is allowed varies. Many communities avoid it in every fast, while others permit it outside Great Lent. Many believers also give up other pleasures during a fast, and spend more time in church and in prayer.

What are the seven fasts?

The table below lists the seven fasts the Church counts, with their usual length. Lengths are approximate, and two of them change from year to year.

Great Lent (Abiy Tsom)

Abiy Tsom means “the great fast”, and it is the most important fast of the year. It lasts 55 days and ends at Easter (Fasika). It covers the forty days that recall Christ’s fast in the wilderness, together with an opening week and Holy Week before Easter. Because Easter moves, so do the dates of Lent.

The fast of Nineveh (Tsome Nenewe)

This three-day fast, kept from Monday to Wednesday about two weeks before Great Lent, recalls the repentance of the people of Nineveh after the preaching of the prophet Jonah.

The fast of the Apostles (Tsome Hawaryat)

This fast begins after Pentecost and ends on the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul. Since Pentecost depends on the date of Easter, its length changes every year.

The fast of the Assumption (Tsome Filseta)

Filseta means “departure” or “assumption”. This sixteen-day fast in August prepares for the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and it is widely kept. The library’s page on the Assumption (Filsata Mariam) explains the teaching behind the feast.

The Advent fast (Tsome Nebiyat)

Its name means “fast of the Prophets”, recalling those who waited for the coming of the Messiah. It begins in late November and ends at Christmas (Genna), which falls on 7 January in most years.

The eves of Christmas and Epiphany (Gahad)

Gahad means “vigil” or “eve”. It is a day of strict fasting on the eve of Christmas and on the eve of Timkat, the feast of Christ’s baptism.

Wednesdays and Fridays

Every Wednesday and Friday is a fast day, except during the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost. By tradition, Wednesday recalls the day the plot to arrest Christ was made, and Friday the day of His crucifixion.

How many days a year do Ethiopian Orthodox Christians fast?

Because the fasts overlap and some move with Easter, an exact number is hard to give. For lay people the total comes to roughly half of the year. Clergy and monastics keep additional fasts, and the monastic life in particular is marked by long and strict fasting.

Who is excused from fasting?

The Church does not ask everyone to keep the full fast. Young children, the sick, the elderly, and pregnant or nursing mothers are commonly given a lighter rule or excused. Someone with a medical condition should not put their health at risk.

How these allowances apply to a particular person is exactly the kind of question to bring to a priest or spiritual father. They can also guide someone new to the faith on how to begin gradually.

How does fasting relate to Holy Communion?

Fasting before Communion is a separate practice from the seasonal fasts. Those who intend to receive the Eucharist prepare by abstaining from food and drink beforehand. The library’s page on the reception of Holy Communion describes that preparation in the Church’s own words.

Why does practice vary?

Ethiopian Orthodox Christians live in Ethiopia, Eritrea and a worldwide diaspora, and local customs have grown up in each place. The hour for breaking the fast, the treatment of fish, and how strictly children and the elderly fast can all differ. None of these differences changes the heart of the practice.

For a wider picture of the Church these fasts belong to, see the guide What Is the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church?. Britannica’s overview of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church gives further background on its history and practice.