Coptic Fasting Calendar 1948
Coptic fasting calendar 1948: Great Lent from Monday, March 8, 1948 to Saturday, May 1, 1948, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1948
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Tue, Nov 25, 194715 Hathor | Tue, Jan 6, 194827 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Tue, Jan 6, 194827 Koiak | Tue, Jan 6, 194827 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Mon, Jan 19, 194810 Tobi | Mon, Jan 19, 194810 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 23, 194815 Meshir | Wed, Feb 25, 194817 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 8, 194829 Meshir | Sat, May 1, 194823 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 21, 194814 Paoni | Sun, Jul 11, 19484 Epip | 21 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Sat, Aug 7, 19481 Mesori | Sat, Aug 21, 194815 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Thu, Nov 25, 194816 Hathor | Thu, Jan 6, 194928 Koiak | 43 days |
The fasts of the Coptic Church
The Coptic Orthodox Church keeps many fasts through the year: Great Lent (55 days, Holy Week included), the Fast of Nineveh (3 days), the Apostles' Fast, the Fast of the Virgin Mary (15 days), the Nativity Fast (43 days, from November 25 to January 6), and the paramoun before the Nativity and the Theophany. Great Lent, the Fast of Nineveh and the Apostles' Fast depend on the date of Easter, so they move every year, and the length of the Apostles' Fast changes with them.
Wednesdays and Fridays
Wednesday and Friday are fasting days every week of the year, except during the Holy Fifty Days after Easter, and when the Nativity or the Theophany falls on one of them.
The paramoun
The paramoun is a day of strict fasting in preparation for the Nativity and the Theophany. It is one day; it becomes two days when the feast falls on a Sunday, and three when it falls on a Monday.