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This year the period of Great Lent starts on Monday, March 4, in Armenia. It lasts 48 days beginning from the Eve of Great Lent (Barekendan) to the Eve of the Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Easter).

During the fasting period people eat exceptionally food of vegetable origin. People not only refuse of certain kinds of food, but also of ill habits - talkativeness, lying, swearing and other sins.

Qahana.am reports that forty days of fasting period symbolize Christ's 40-day lasting period of abstinence and repentance in the desert. After his baptism Jesus "was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil and in those days, he did eat nothing" (Lk 4:1-3). Jesus subjected himself to abstinence for the salvation of mankind, He repented instead of mankind so that penitence of all those who fast should gain sense and be realized by means of his abstinence. Another period of fasting lasting for a week follows the 40-day fasting period. It is the Holy Week. That is why the forty-day called fasting period lasts 48 days.

The period of Great Lent consists of seven remarkable Sundays: Eve of Great Lent, Sunday of Expulsion, Sunday of the Lost (Prodigal) Son, Sunday of the Steward, Sunday of the Judge, Sunday of Advent and Palm Sunday. The 24th day or the fourth Wednesday of the period of Great Lent is called Mijink symbolizing that first half of the period of Great Lent has already passed. Fasting is not stopped. According to folk tradition the housewives bake unleavened cake and put a coin in it while baking. The current year will be successful for the member of the family who will have the coin in his/her portion.

According to ancient traditions, marriage and offering sacrifice were forbidden during the period of Great Lent. It has become the practice of the church to not offer Holy Communion during Divine Liturgy but is available to those who personally approach the celebrant.