Alcohol?

[Orthodox Andrew]

I have never heard a very straight answer from anybody I have asked concering the drinking of alcohol in Orthodoxy. I have heard from some that one can only drink on Saint days and other special days. However does this mean that drinking on just anyday is forbidden? Thanks.

 

[yodadataco]

Being an daughter of a deacon in the orthodox church I can saftly tell you the consumption of alcohol is not forbidden. The deal is during fasting days/seasons it is usually not consumed. On the feast days (such as saints days) during those seasons it is normally allowed. I can give you a more indepth explanation of this if you like.

 

[Orthodox Andrew]

Thanks. Please feel free to go as deep as you see fit.

 

[yodadataco]

I'm a wee bit tired to go in depth at this hour . . but I will when I get the chance, so that I can do some research instead of the off the top of my head anwser.

 

[Oblio]

I remember being new to the Orthodox church and not wanting to offend any , so I asked our Priest if it would be OK to have alcohol at our upcoming wedding. He looked at me with a quizical look and said 'We are not Baptist, we are Orthodox, of course it is OK '


Generally, during a fast period*, if it is a feast day, wine and oil are allowed,and during most Sat. & Sundays during fasts as these are weekly feast days. During most weeks, we abstain from wine and other alcoholic products on Wed (to remember the betrayal of our Lord) and Friday (to remember His Crucifixion). Like the fast periods, this is relaxed if it a feast day falls on Wednesday or Friday.

This all seems complex, but once you follow it for awhile it becomes a part of your life and helps you to live the faith, and give thanks to the Lord for His grace and Mercy.

* The main fasts are Great Lent, Nativity of Christ, Dormition of the Theotokos, and the Apostles Fast.

So , eat drink (in moderation) and be merry, for tommorow we shall fast

 

[Orthodox Andrew]

Thanks, that was very informative.
P.S. I'm glad I don't have to give up my rare drink of ouzo.

 

[Maximus]

I am Orthodox and I regard alcoholic beverages as gifts from God. They, like most things, however, must be used in moderation. Excessive consumption of alcohol is the sin of gluttony and the sin of drunkeness.

Persons who are prone to alcoholism should probably not drink at all.

I enjoy vodka, beer, and wine myself (but not all together at once!).

 

[MariaRegina]

Dear Friends:

Talk about mixing drinks!

When my brother was a young inquisitive child of 6 years old, he wandered behind a fraternity house at the University of Nevada in Reno, early one morning. The guys had just had a big Christmas party the previous evening, so there was a variety of different bottles. The older children gathered the few drops of alcohol in each bottle into one bottle, and gave the mixture (vodka, whiskey, rum, wine, beer) to my poor little brother. After he had drunk at least two to three ounces of this concoction, he staggered home across a busy street. My parents took him to the emergency room immediately.

Please pray for him. I think that drink affected him. He is now an alcoholic.

Yours truly in Christ,
Elizabeth

 

[Peter]

I've enjoyed both beer and wine in the presence of a priest. The other posts here are right on.

Forgive me mtown, but "Strazi!" "Opa!" (pewrlee fonetikul spelings thoz)

 

[yodadataco]

Yeah that about sums it up, what has been stated. I don't believe there is anything more to be said unless you want to know the actual days of the fasts.

 

[Reader Nilus]

During my first Paschal Season as Orthodox, on one Sunday after Liturgy with my Priest, he offered me a shot of Finlandia Vodka! That was enough to warm to old Finn's heart. When I was arrested for a DWI I came to the Liturgy, in a real shook up fashion, I had been a Reader for about 2 months, I told the Sub-Deacon that I could not take the Holy Mysteries until I went to confession. When our Priest heard what we were talking about he asked what was wrong, I told him, he said everyone gets those and it was not like you were caught in a store stealing something. After confession he showed me a newpaper that was published for Orthodox Prisoners and he said he would get me a copy if I was jailed, but only if I was in jail would he give me one. I then told the Sub-Deacon and he said goodness is there that many brothers in jail, that we need to have a newspaper!
Jeff the Finn

 

[politicopt]

I was recently told by a Coptic Orthodox priest (who abstains from drinking) that it is ok to drink a bottle of beer of a glass of wine on occassions; but to refrain from hard liquors, because they are meant to get you drunk. Obviously the Coptic Culture is different than that of the Russian and Greek Cultures (where vodka and ouzo are simply cultural drinks, respectively), and so each church will have different rules. We must remember that since the 7th Century, the Copts were under the authority of Islamic regimes, which forbids alcohol. Thus, the Coptic Culture would be one which drinks rarely.

 

[Maximus]

Interesting post, politicopt.

I lived in Russia for awhile and was there introduced to the sociable consumption of vodka, a ritual I came to enjoy. Russians drink vodka with food over an extended period of time. Although in the course of an evening a great deal of vodka may be consumed, very little drunkeness occurs.

Wait a minute, now! I know what some of you will say, especially those who have been to Moscow: "Hey! Russia has a terrible alcohol problem!"

There is an alcohol problem, but not among my friends and family there. I also believe the Russian drinking problem is closely related to poverty and unemployment and cannot be blamed on Russian customs.

BTW, my favorite vodka is Pertsovka, Ukrainian hot pepper vodka. It'll clear your sinuses like nothing else, let me tell you! It's great in orange juice and makes a spicy "Bloody Mary".

 

[MariaRegina]

I was recently told by a Coptic Orthodox priest (who abstains from drinking) that it is ok to drink a bottle of beer of a glass of wine on occassions; but to refrain from hard liquors, because they are meant to get you drunk. Obviously the Coptic Culture is different than that of the Russian and Greek Cultures (where vodka and ouzo are simply cultural drinks, respectively), and so each church will have different rules. We must remember that since the 7th Century, the Copts were under the authority of Islamic regimes, which forbids alcohol. Thus, the Coptic Culture would be one which drinks rarely.

Dear Politicopt:

Welcome to our forum!

I think one reason why the Coptics were discouraged from drinking is that the muslims would deliberately try to get the Christians intoxicated so that they could trick them into renouncing their faith by wearing muslim garments, etc. This happened to some of the Greeks who, when they came to their senses, refused to renounce the Christian faith and suffered a martyr's death. There are quite a few new martyrs listed in the Greek lives of the saint written by Father Poulos.

The Holy Scriptures tell us to be sober and watchful, for the devil roams about the world like a lion seeking those he may devour. Drunkenness is definitely a sin.

Yours truly in Christ,
Elizabeth

 

[MariaRegina]

Interesting post, politicopt.

I lived in Russia for awhile and was there introduced to the sociable consumption of vodka, a ritual I came to enjoy. Russians drink vodka with food over an extended period of time. Although in the course of an evening a great deal of vodka may be consumed, very little drunkeness occurs.

Wait a minute, now! I know what some of you will say, especially those who have been to Moscow: "Hey! Russia has a terrible alcohol problem!"

There is an alcohol problem, but not among my friends and family there. I also believe the Russian drinking problem is closely related to poverty and unemployment and cannot be blamed on Russian customs.

BTW, my favorite vodka is Pertsovka, Ukrainian hot pepper vodka. It'll clear your sinuses like nothing else, let me tell you! It's great in orange juice and makes a spicy "Bloody Mary".

Dear Maximus:

Pertsovka sounds like an herbal tincture - more medicine than booze.

 

[Oblio]

Pertsovka sounds like an herbal tincture - more medicine than booze.

I'll have to try it then. Of course, I like Chartreuse too !

 

[Maximus]

Pertsovka is difficult to find in this country, and when you can find it it goes for about $21 to the liter.

In Moscow Pertsovka sells for $5 a liter. It may be cheaper elsewhere in Russia and Ukraine, since Moscow is known for its high prices (a relative term; for Americans the prices in Moscow are excellent).

Pertsovka makes a darn good cold medicine, although that's not really what it is. It's just mighty fine Ukrainian vodka to which hot peppers have been added and allowed to steep.

It's great stuff.

I have a big bottle of black currant Cristall vodka in my fridge now. A friend brought it back from Moscow for me this summer.

 

[MariaRegina]

Dear Maximus:

When my husband and I had pneumonia, the doctor prescribed a synthetic drug which acted like cayenne pepper (or chili peppers). The next time I got sick with a bad case of pneumonia, I started taking a lot of cayenne pepper capsules and got over it in no time.

All you have to do is empty some cayenne pepper capsules into that vodka - and you've got a powerful cold and pneumonia recipe. Then it becomes a tincture (20% alcohol).

That currant vodka sounds interesting. Currants and raisins are known to have a lot of antioxidants which help prevent cancer. I wonder if Trader Joes has some?

 

[Maximus]

Dear Maximus:

When my husband and I had pneumonia, the doctor prescribed a synthetic drug which acted like cayenne pepper (or chili peppers). The next time I got sick with a bad case of pneumonia, I started taking a lot of cayenne pepper capsules and got over it in no time.

All you have to do is empty some cayenne pepper capsules into that vodka - and you've got a powerful cold and pneumonia recipe. Then it becomes a tincture (20% alcohol).

That currant vodka sounds interesting. Currants and raisins are known to have a lot of antioxidants which help prevent cancer. I wonder if Trader Joes has some?

I don't know where you can get black currant Cristall in the U.S.

Stolichnaya is the only genuine Russian vodka I have seen for sale here.