The Season of Advent in the Orthodox Church runs from November 15 through December 24 and is a period of fasting and reflective preparation for the Incarnation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. ‘Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.’"
(Isaiah 7:14)
"A voice cries, 'in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'"
(Isaiah 40:3)
Fast days and periods have been established by the Church throughout the year to help us direct our hearts and minds towards the life of prayer and worship, spiritual needs, and the condition of our souls and relationship with God.
The Disconnected Cross: Philanthropy and Almsgiving