Forgiveness Sunday, also known as Cheesefare Sunday, is the final Sunday before the start of Great Lent in the Orthodox Christian Church. It marks the threshold of a sacred season of fasting, repentance and spiritual renewal, according to goarch.com.
The day commemorates the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, reminding believers of humanity’s fall and separation from God. As Lent begins, the faithful symbolically stand with Adam outside Eden’s gates—grieving the loss caused by sin, yet holding hope for restoration through Christ’s saving sacrifice and Resurrection, which reopens the way to Paradise.
A central message of the day is forgiveness. The Gospel reading (Matthew 6:14–21) underscores that reconciliation with God is inseparable from reconciliation with others: “If you forgive others… your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.” On Sunday evening, the Vespers of Forgiveness includes a moving rite of mutual forgiveness, where clergy and faithful ask one another for pardon. This act affirms that Lent is not a solitary journey, but a shared path of humility and love.
Cheesefare Sunday is the last day dairy products are consumed before the full Lenten fast begins on Clean Monday. Through prayer, fasting, confession and worship, Orthodox Christians enter Lent seeking liberation from sin and a renewed communion with God—grounded in forgiveness, sincerity and spiritual discipline.
Source: goarch.org
