The Phillip’s Fast is a strict fast on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with a lesser fast mitigated for fish and wine on Tuesdays and Thursdays. With Saturday and Sundays fast free. It culminates with a Holy Supper on Christmas Eve. The Phillip’s Fast begins at sundown on November 14th (when the Church begins a new day) and concludes at Christmas.
To count the long days until Christmas, Eastern Christians have a number of beautiful customs. A candle holder in the shape of a six-pointed Star of David holds six red candles to be lit for each week before Christmas and one white Christ candle in the center to be lit on Christmas Eve. A 40-day Advent Calendar gives children a surprise for each day before Christmas. A “St. Philip’s Chain” is made out of strips of paper containing good deeds or prayers offered by children/adults during the fast and used to decorate the Christmas Tree.
