Fasting 'til Easter

[nairi]

Who will be fasting for 40 days until Easter and why? This question obviously does not apply to our permanent veggies

 

I started today for health reasons. I feel I've eaten too much meat in the last two years and IMO a break from it is definitely not misplaced. I thought Barekendan to Zatik was a nice opportunity to grab and do it in. Is there anyone else who feels this way?

[Arpa]

Why forty?

Are you forty years old?

It reminds me of an old song that goes soemthing like:Qarsun tari shut antsav...Akh taneyin, taneyin... hor@s tunen haneyin", aparently sung by an old maid who is lamenting that forty years had passed and she was not yet married.

Forty years??!! Wow! A lifetime!

The superstition of numbers have always fascinated me. Some may claim that it comes from the Bible, (see below).

That may be so but there seems to a whole discipline devoted to numbers and numerology and most all of them point to prebiblical times, some claim Babylon was where it all started. You may remember the story I told sometime ago where a native of Gumri when asked how old the church may have been told me that it was very, very old, could not give an estimate in years, when asked whether he(about 70 years old) was babptized at that church, told me not only he but his father before him and his grandfather before that were all baptized there, then as a great discovy he told me; "Es zham@ gutse 'qarsun taru e'". Wow! Qarsun! A whole liftime! Yes a whole liftetime since when the number forty was considered an eternity people could not count past forty and very few people lived passed that.

In addition to the below. Consider Ali Baba and his Forty Thieves, Forty Days of Musa Ler, Forty days of mourning/Qarsunq, Qarsun or qarsun gisher of celebration, forty days limit for baptism, quarantine etc.

Let's play a game and see how many "forty"s we can think of. Not to forget that Forty Years of wanderings in the Sinai desert after the Exodus is a shameless and blatant lie. I'll leave it to your judgement to see why. Hint? Not even a shoelace have been dug up yet.

As to Barekendan, you may not have seen this my post of some weeks ago;

/cgi-bin/forum/ultim...ic;f=7;t=000147

******

FORTY

 

Forty seems to have many meanings associated with it; especially religious.

 

It is the number of probation; trial; initiation; death.

 

As an elevation of four it is wholeness and totality.

 

The importance of the "forty days" probably comes from the Babylonian forty

days' disappearance of the Pleaides, a period of rains, storms, floods and

dangers. The return of the Pleiades was a time of rejoicing and a bundle of

forty reeds was burned for the forty days of evil power.

 

The Roman "quarantine" kept ships isolated for forty days in the harbor.

 

Temples in Persia, Baalbec, Tartary, those of the Druids and the Temple of

Ezekeil, had forty pillars.

 

Bible: Jesus spent forty days in the desert being tempted by the devil.

 

There are forty days to Lent, from which were from those forty days in the

wilderness.

 

There are forty of the resurrection, from Easter to Ascension.

 

The are forty days to "privileged sanctuary, and forty days to St. Swithin's

weather.

 

In the Old Testament Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai; Moses' spies

spent forty days in Canaan and Caleb, one of them, was forty years old;

 

Forty days Elijah was in hiding;

 

probation for Nineveh under Jonah;

 

For forty years the Jews wandered in the wilderness;

 

In the Flood it rained for forty days and Noah's raven was sent out forty

days after mountain- tops appeared;

 

Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah and Esau was also forty

when he took a wife

 

It took forty days to embalm Jacob;

 

Israel spent forty years in the wilderness;

 

The standard legal beating consisted of forty blows;

 

Othniel, Caleb's brother, was victorious over 'The King of Mesopotamia" and

brought peace for forty years, and the later defeat of Sisera again brought

a forty-year peace; a little later Gideon subdued the Midianites bringing

peace for - forty years;

 

Abdon, one of the early Judges, had forty sons, but these were unable to

prevent the Philistines from ruling Western Israel for forty years;

 

At Sochoth Saul's army and the Philistines sat and looked at each other for

forty days;

 

Ishbosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over

Israel,

 

David reigned for forty years, and as did Solomon.

 

Egyptian: The forty days of the death and absence of Osiris is a period of

fasting.

 

Islamic: The number of change and death, but also of reconciliation and

return to the principle. Mohammed received his "call" at forty years; the

Qoran should be read every forty days.

 

Mithraic: Forty is the number of days of initiation rites and of festivals

and sacrifice.

******

[Arpa]

OH! I forgot!

Whdn I asked "why forty?" I forgot to add that Ramadan, perhaps the most publicized period of fasting. It is unconscionable hat when I lived in the Islamic world I never knew when Ramadan was, now that I live in a so called Christian country I get to know when Ramadan, Rosh Hashanah, Hanakah and other garbage is.

Why forty days? It makes no sense (except for prehistoric superstition). It is not based on any natural phenomenon, not the lunar cycle, not the solar cycle or any other. At least the Islamic one is based on the lunar cycle. Is it because they don't read that heap of lies aka Bible? Are they more scientific than the so called scientific and civilized(?)world/west?

WE may learn a thing or two from those "savages" only if and when we rid ourselves form the clutches of the superstitions that some may call religion.

How about fasting during the month of Navasard??

[nairi]

Actually yeah, why not? Like I said, I'm only doing it for health reasons. I'm sure refraining from eating meat for almost a month and a half can only be good. I could've done it anytime, it's just that I was reminded by someone that Armenians do it now, so I thought it was a nice opportunity to grab. That's all. I'm guessing you won't be doing it

 

Thanks for all the info. Quite fascinating. And no, I'm not forty Nowhere near it actually, but am thinking of staying a spinster for the rest of my life

[Sip]

Do I even need to say anything?

[nairi]

That it might also be beneficial for you? You can still eat a lot. Just no meat or fish, and I think dairy products, but I'm still eating that (except eggs).

 

[ February 28, 2003, 12:54 PM: Message edited by: nairi ]

[Bakersfieldian]

My appologies if I ramble.

 

Seriously, I gave up my girl friend for Lent.

 

As an Orthodox Christian, I try to keep the fast but suffer from weaknesses of the flesh. I also have a metabolic imbalance requiring me to limit my carb intake and elevate proteins (and NO, soy is not a real high BV protein! Just watch me fall into ketosis after substituting my dairy/meat intake with soy and you'll know.)

 

With that said........

 

Why is fasting important?

 

Self dicipline, pure and simple.

 

We in the 21st century west are the best example of people lacking self dicipline. We get most of what we want, when we want it. I am among the first to admit I am spoiled. I own 9 cars including a Corvette, Jaguar, and a Mercedes coupe. I go to Vegas twice a month (I just returned from a suite with a jacuzzi in it.) and travel whenever and where I wish. I eat at fine resturaunts often.

 

Compare that to my grandparents who escaped the genocide as orphans with only the clothes on their backs. Even those were donated by the Red Cross.

 

You don't think I need fasting???

You don't think YOU need fasting???

 

Fasting teaches us control over our emotions and helps us to develop something I feel is absolutely essential in a person. The voice that tells yourself NO when you are about to do something wrong.

 

I have found that the biggest problem in women/girls I go out with. Nothing inside their head tells them NO when faced with a moral decision.

 

I'm not stating this in terms of towards me. People are often nice to me for whatever reason. I look at the way they treat others and their commitment towards them (cheating, stealing, using, etc..) and rely on that as my basis.

 

I have asked them outright if they had anything in their head that said STOP or just plain NO. They, for the most part, had no clue what I am referring to.

 

Fasting teaches us both NO and STOP.

 

How many current problems in your or someone you know's life could or could have been prevented through something this simple?

 

Obesity (There are a lot of rolly polly Armos out there!)

Smoking

Excessive drinking

Drugs

Shopaholic

Compulsive behavior

Bad relationships

Criminal behavior

etc, etc..

 

All of these enter our lives through the same channel and the only thing that prevents/stops us is our own self dicipline.

 

God gave us free will.

He also GAVE us the ability to control it.

 

In fact, as Orthodox Christians we are to view the fast as an honor and a previlige. Remember, our acestors often times weren't able to afford the luxury of fasting.

 

So, do we need fasting???

 

YES!!!

[Azat]

I do not know much about this, so pardon me if i am wrong, but doesn't lent start on Ash Wednesday? Which would have been the 5th?

 

And also, I thought you could not eat any product that came from animals(milk and honey and jello included) but fish products were okay. Wrong?

[nairi]

Dear Bakerfieldian,

 

Interesting point, but I'll have to disagree with you on discipline. I think fasting in general has more to do with seasonal changes than with self-imposed restrictions. Fasting is probably one of the most ancient traditions, for the simple reason that greenhouses and bio-industry didn't exist. People just ate what was available in whichever season, and fasted when it wasn't. The "rules" for fasting themselves changed along with the seasons as well, so that throughout the year people would "refrain" from eating any one or more products. This included meat, dairy, honey, and even herbs and fruit. It was only much later that people started inventing (strict) rules, rituals, and traditions for fasting.

 

Azat jan, I have no idea, but definitely not fish, because fish is what you eat on Easter day. As for the starting day, I thought it was Barekendan (or Barinkan before some people get angry ), which was .... hmmm. I don't keep up with that stuff. I heard about it on Feb 25, and started as soon as possible. I couldn't wait another week

[564312]

can someone tell me why we eat chamichov plav with fish on Easter?..mmmm fishhh

[nairi]

We don't We eat kookoo (made with eggs, herbs and spinach) plaf with fish and red wine, which I don't drink, because I don't drink. I think the fish is probably the healthiest step to eating real meat again. We eat the same meal on Jan 6.

[MosJan]

chamichov plaf ??

 

iy mard - haziv mtatsum em dieta anem duq el hamov banerits eq xosum (

 

chamichov plaffff emmmm uzzzzummmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!

[Azat]

Nairi jan, what is wrong with you and Sip? Why do you guy not drink? Alcohol, particular red wine and beer are the second and third most enjoyable things in life. Why would you want to torture yourself and not drink.

 

I don't get you guys.

[Bass]

What the Heck is Plaf or Plav with fish, it sounds good. Where can I get the recipe?

[Sip]

Well, in my case, it's because I am usually overwhelmed with the 1-st most enjoyable thing in life: my laptop.

[Accelerated]

Mind lending me one of em for a week? I promiss, I will bring it back intact....cross me heart and hope to die

 

Hear....hear! Too true, just one correction though, the consumption of alcohol in large enough quanitities is one of the most enjoyable things in life....so run to your local bottle shop and get tanked!

 

[ March 19, 2003, 07:41 PM: Message edited by: Accelerated ]

[Sip]

Ok, you convinced me. No girls for 40 days. I am only doing this to prove I have self control and am a superior human being. Wow this is going to be VERY hard to do

[Harut]

don't lie. we all know that you gave up girls 20 years ago and still keep your promise.

[Cilician]

I am keeping "bak" for the same reasons, but I am sticking to the more traditional vegan rules (no meat, dairy or honey :-)

 

I have done what I call bak light in the past, where I only don't eat meat, but everything else including bullion is OK. It is much easier and I prefer it, but this year it is the strict rules for me.

 

I also used to say it is 40 days, but unless I am mistaken, it is much longer than that... According to my online Armenian Church Calendar at:

http://www.calendar.am/calendar.pl?calendar=church

 

Lent starts on March 3 this year and goes through April 20. Either I am doing it for too long, or lent is actually 48 days, which is almost 25% more than 40 days... someone clear thus up here!

[564312]

nairi i never heard about kookoo where is it from originally is it like tapakac spanakh with eggs?

 

Bass chamichov plaf is rice with rasins...Rich Butter Drenched Raisinsm Light and Eary Rice. This is the side dish the main dish is Siga or Ishkhan (Armenian Fish) Filled with aromatic herbs and citrus, steamed or BBQ'd.

bon apetit

[nairi]

Azat jan, darling, alcohol is for p*ssies. Most of the things I enjoy doing are highly illegal your country.

 

Btw, you never answered Bass's question. I'm quite curious myself...

[nairi]

[Bass]

564312, why did you have to answer my question that way! Your description of “chamichov plaf” gave me ulcers. Now where can I get the recipe? Is there an Armenian restaurant in Anaheim, CA area? I hope this meal is not only served in Easter!!!

 

PS. 20 years ago my good Armenian friend introduced the Armenian Basturma to me. Oh, man….it is the best tasting thing in the world, my wife and my kids go crazy for it.

[Accelerated]

LOL - you assume that just because their illegal we dont get to enjoy them? and btw. a recent alteration of the law here (in Australia) allows individuals to have small amounts of cannabis on them, and some cannabis cafes have allready sprung up, so dont think you in Holland are special.

[Azat]

Dear Bass, I am not sure if you will be able to find this in any restaurant in the LA area. but I could be wrong. In any case, I have included the recipe of my late grandma. I use to love it as a kid, but I am not much in to sweet food(with the exception of ice cream) now days. It is usually server on xmas and easter time.

 

By the way. Prior to becoming a vegetarian, i use to LOVE Basturma as well and it is the only "meat" dish that I miss. I especially use to love making scrambled eggs with Basturma. mmmmmmmmmmmm....

 

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2 cups long grain rice

1/4 lb. butter

1/8 lb. butter

1/4 lb white raisins

1/4 lb black/red raisins

1/4 lb almonds(pealed)

1/8 lb dried apricots

1/8 lb dried prunes

 

Soak rice in plenty of salted water to cover. Set aside for 2 hours.

 

1 hour before serving, boil 6-8 cups of water in large kettle with 1/8 lb of the butter. Drain soaked rice and add to boiling water. Boil 8-10 minutes or until rice is tender. Drain again. Rinse with cold water.

 

Melt the 1/4 lb butter in a frying pan, add the almonds(pealed and halved)/ Toast it for few minutes. Add white and red raisins, add the apricots and prunes. And fry if for only 2-3 minutes.

 

Put the cooked rice on a platter and all the sweet accompaniments on top.