Cheesefare Week: Formation and Liturgical Functionality in Jerusalem and Constantinople

Within the Byzantine liturgical tradition, the period of Great Lent is preceded by a preparatory week commonly referred to as Cheesefare Week. The origin and provenance of this liturgical observance have been the subject of scholarly inquiry on multiple occasions. Nevertheless, a closer examination of its liturgical structure, textual content, and ritual function across various regions of the Christian East remains of considerable interest—particularly with regard to the points of convergence and divergence between the traditions of the two principal liturgical centers: the City of Jesus (Jerusalem) and the City of Constantine (Constantinople). This paper seeks to reconstruct the original liturgical content of Cheesefare Week and to trace the processes by which it evolved and disseminated throughout the Byzantine Empire, thereby illuminating the dynamic interplay between local and imperial liturgical traditions.