oil in fasting

[sedan]

Hello all, a quick question on fasting, I read onc that olve oil was part of the regular fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. Then I read in another work that oil was, but didn't specify what kind of oil, so I took it as all oil. Is there a canon (I hope this is the right word) on this, I mean that there is a definitive answer of whether or not oil of any kind, or just olive oil.
Thanks for the help.
Blessings.
Sedan.

[Heorhij]

Hello all, a quick question on fasting, I read onc that olve oil was part of the regular fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. Then I read in another work that oil was, but didn't specify what kind of oil, so I took it as all oil. Is there a canon (I hope this is the right word) on this, I mean that there is a definitive answer of whether or not oil of any kind, or just olive oil.
Thanks for the help.
Blessings.
Sedan.

Hi Sedan,

Since olive oil, like wine, has been traditionally associated with feasts and joy, usually oil is not used during strict fasts. It can be allowed if there is a certain holiday that happens to be on a Wednesday or on a Friday, and in this case, there will be a special note in an Orthodox calendar (in my GOA calendar, it's a little picture of a bundle of grapes, meaning, "oil and wine allowed").

If I recall correctly, oil is allowed during "non-strict fasts" (like the Apostle's Fast and the St. Philip Fast), but NOT on Wednesdays and Fridays. Oil is not allowed on the Nativity eve.

[Thomas]

This is one of those areas that may have differing interpretations based upon the particular typica used by the jurisdiction or parish. Most Slavic parishes I have run into interprete oil as any oil whereas the Byzantine (Greek Orthodox, Antiochian, and Alexandrians) interprete it more strictly to mean olive oil alone. Every bishop publishes his Typica for his diocese based upon the Traditions and traditions of his culture and jurisdictional practices. For example Blubber, a mammal fat, (whale fat) is allowed in Alaska because it provides the necessary high calaries to burn to keep the native Alaskans healthy in their extremely cold climate, even though it is Great Lent or the Nativity Fast.

In general all jurisdictions fast from Olive Oil of Wednesdays and Fridays except those feast days classified as Polyelos days in which both wine and Oil are allowed to be used on a fasting day. Saturdays and Sundays in a fasting period are Wine and Oil days. Some jurisdictions may expand the no oil use to all oils including light vegetable oils like  soy, canola, and peanut oils.

When in doubt ask your priest. My priest who personally fasts from all oils on fast days will respond that our jurisdiction fasts from Olive Oil only as that is the typica in use in the diocese. He does this even though he personally as a spiritual practice eschews the use of any oils on fast days.

Thomas

[Heorhij]

^Thomas, thank you for this clarification. You know, it never even occured to me that there might be any distiction between "just oil" and olive oil.

[sedan]

Thank you for the answers. I will see my priest on Saturday for Great Vespers and ask him then. I understand that olive oil in Eastern culture is very important, a life giving substance, and to fast from it is considered equal to fasting from meat? As a result it is a question of any oil, so thank you all for your time.
Blessings.
Sedan

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