www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Food - Recipes Olives, Fasting Food?

So this is kind of a bizarre (possibly betraying me as a Roman on the way East) question, but here goes...

Can you eat olives on days when olive oil is prohibited? They clearly contain olive oil, but they're not olive oil per se.

(My olives were drained when they were purchased at the Greek grocery store yesterday, but I didn't eat all of them yesterday.)

Can't help you with olives in general, but my jar of olives stuffed with blue cheese will remain unopened until Christmas.

Dear JBenedict,

It is an anomaly of sort, so don't ask me why, but YES, you can eat olives on days when you do not eat olive oil.

Have you asked a spiritual Father if abstaining from olive oil is necessary? Generally speaking, although it is in the letter of the law, a vast majority of Orthodox who are not monastics, do not fast to this extreme of no oil.

Again, do ask a spiritual Father, as these 'rules' are applied or ignored (with spiritual economy) from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and priest to priest.

Alice

Alice is correct. This is a question for your spiritual father. Your spiritual father may have a different fasting rule for you depending on your spiritual needs.

My family does indeed fast from olive oil on days that call for the strict fast. But olives are permissible. The reason is because it is the olive oil that gives flavor to the food.

But again, speak with your spiritual father.

Thanks Recluse for clarifying that about olives vs. olive oil!

I will now go share that with my husband!