One of four major fasting periods throughout the Eastern Orthodox Christian ecclesiastical year, the Nativity Fast (also known as Advent in the Western World) begins November 15th and concludes on December 24th. For Orthodox Christians, it is a time to prepare for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Flesh, on December 25th. During the Nativity Fast, Christians are asked to abstain from meat, fish, dairy products, olive oil, and wine, and are encouraged and called to focus more deeply on prayer and almsgiving. According to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, the primary goal...