For six weeks annually, millions of Orthodox Christians worldwide adopt a largely vegan diet as part of a centuries-old ritual of spiritual renewal. This involves abstaining from meat, dairy products, eggs, and fish with backbones. Oil and wine are prohibited on weekdays during the 40-day Lenten period before Orthodox Easter, which often falls later than its Western counterpart.
This plant-based meal plan fosters communal rediscovery of vegetables and oil-free cooking in Orthodox-majority nations. In Greece, even McDonald’s adapts, offering seasonal items like shrimp wraps, vegetable spring rolls, and plant-based McVeggie burgers, though these are not always oil-free.
