In Cyprus the weeks before Christmas are fish weeks. From 15 November many families give up meat, dairy and eggs for the Christmas fast, and fish becomes the treat that makes the fast easy to keep. The catch is that fish is allowed on some days and not on others. Here are the 2026 dates, and the seafood you can eat even on the strict days.
The Christmas fast in short
The fast runs for forty days, from Sunday 15 November to Christmas Eve on Thursday 24 December. Greeks and Cypriots also call it the little Lent. It has two parts. Until 17 December fish is allowed on most days. From 18 December to Christmas Eve there is no fish at all. These dates follow the standard Orthodox fasting calendar, published by saint.gr.
Fish days from 15 November to 17 December
In the first part of the fast you can eat fish every day except Wednesdays and Fridays. In 2026 that means no fish on:
- Wednesdays: 18 and 25 November, 2, 9 and 16 December
- Fridays: 20 and 27 November, 4 and 11 December
Every other day in that stretch is a fish day. The feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary on 21 November is a fish day whatever the weekday. In 2026 it falls on a Saturday, so it changes nothing this year.
18 to 24 December: no fish
The last week before Christmas is stricter. From Friday 18 December there is no fish, and oil and wine are allowed except on Wednesdays and Fridays. Christmas Eve on 24 December is the strictest day of all, with no oil unless it falls on a weekend, and in 2026 it falls on a Thursday.
Seafood you can eat on every day of the fast
Orthodox tradition treats seafood without blood as fasting food. That covers octopus, squid, cuttlefish, prawns and mussels, which is why they turn up on Cypriot tables on Wednesdays, Fridays and in the week before Christmas. Taramosalata, made from fish roe, belongs to the same tradition. It is the classic dish of Clean Monday at the start of Lent.
Rules vary a little between families and parishes. If you keep a stricter fast, follow your own priest's advice.
Eating out during the fast in Larnaca
A fish tavern is the easiest place to keep the fast without feeling it. At Mer Bleue on the Oroklini seafront, fish days mean fresh fish from the daily display, priced by the kilo, or the fish meze at 33 euro a head for two or more. On the other days the grill still has plenty: grilled octopus at 24 euro, baby calamari grilled or fried at 20, mussels steamed in white wine at 20 and prawns several ways.
Two things to watch. Village salad comes with cheese, so ask for it without, and some dishes are finished with butter or cream. Tell us you are fasting when you order and we will point you to the right plates. The menu lists everything, and our guide to fish meze in Larnaca explains how the meze arrives.
Questions people ask
When does the Christmas fast start in 2026?
On Sunday 15 November 2026. It lasts forty days, until Christmas Eve on Thursday 24 December.
Can you eat fish during the Christmas fast?
Yes, from 15 November to 17 December, except on Wednesdays and Fridays. Fish is also allowed on 21 November for the feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary. From 18 to 24 December there is no fish.
Are octopus, squid and prawns allowed during the fast?
Orthodox tradition treats seafood without blood, such as octopus, squid, cuttlefish, prawns and mussels, as fasting food, so many people eat it on days when fish is not allowed.
Is taramosalata fasting food?
Yes. Taramosalata, made from fish roe, is traditional fasting food in Cyprus and Greece and the classic dish of Clean Monday.
Where can I eat fasting food by the sea in Larnaca?
Mer Bleue Beach Restaurant on the Oroklini seafront serves grilled octopus, calamari, prawns and mussels every day, and fresh fish on the days fish is allowed.
Planning a day out in November? Read about the Larnaca Marathon or the flamingos in Larnaca.