Hello, and happy Thanksgiving! What a beautiful day in the year, where we are all invited to hit the collective “pause” button, come together in community to be with one another, and offer thanks to God for all we have been given. For those of us observing the New Calendar, Thanksgiving Day falls during the Nativity Fast, a 40-day opportunity to deepen our spiritual lives through fasting, almsgiving, and prayer, in preparation for the upcoming feast of the Nativity of Christ.

The spirit of Thanksgiving is one that aligns beautifully with our Christian values, but the food traditions of the holiday do not quite align with the fasting guidelines. There is typically a special dispensation to eat meat on this day during the fast, but I would definitely check with your parish priest to get his guidance on how to observe the fast.

But today’s episode of Food Freedom Through Christ is all about how to keep the spirit of the fast during Thanksgiving, even if we are enjoying meat and dairy products. So here are my top five tips.

Number one, attend the Divine Liturgy if offered. Check with your parish priest to see if your parish is offering a Divine Liturgy on or around Thanksgiving. While the holiday is a delightful opportunity to share a meal with loved ones, the ultimate meal and celebration is that of the holy Eucharist, which actually comes from the Greek word meaning “thanksgiving.” If there is not a Liturgy being served, praying the Akathist “Glory to God for All Things” nicely complements the theme of the day.

Number two, consider how you and your family might participate in almsgiving around this time. If there were a time of year that reminds us most vividly of all our blessings, it is this season of giving. And St. Gregory the Great reminds us:

For one fasts not for God, but for himself if he does not offer to the poor what he denies himself during the period of fasting, but rather saves it for a later time for his own stomach.

So perhaps if the food part of the fast is loosened for a day, the surplus food can possibly be repurposed, not as leftovers for ourselves, but for neighbors or friends, or someone in need of a home-cooked meal.

Number three, ask God to bless your food each time. Perhaps saying a prayer as a family before the main meal is customary for you. That is so lovely! Build on that ritual and ask God to bless all of your eating episodes throughout the day: the appetizers, the taste tests in the kitchen, the dessert, the second dinner. A quick, “Lord, bless!” or making the sign of the cross can help us come back to Christ throughout the entire day.

Number four, eat slowly. When we slow down, we can more thoroughly enjoy the food that we or our loved ones likely spent significant time preparing. We can taste the food, noting the flavor, the temperature, the texture, the color, leading to a deeper appreciation of this gift. Eating slowly also gives our body the time it needs to recognize the feeling of fullness. If you’re feeling full but want a little more, just wait a little bit; you may find you are satisfied after the first serving after all. If we’re not observing the fast through abstaining from meat or dairy today, we can still observe through practicing moderation.

Here are just a few practical tips for eating slowly. Take your first bite, and tell the cook what you taste. Put your fork down in between bites, and chew your food well. Ask someone a question and listen intently to the answer.

Lastly, give thanks for your meal through prayer. End-capping our meal with thanksgiving accomplishes a few things. It helps us know when we’re done eating and ready to move on, it infuses a spirit of gratitude into the entire day, and it brings the focus back to Christ. A simple “Thank you, Lord, for our food” will do.

And now it’s my turn to thank you. Thank you for listening. I am humbled every day by all of you who tune in and listen to this podcast. So thank you very much for lending your ears, and may you have a happy and lovely Thanksgiving.