Coptic Fasting Calendar 1953
Coptic fasting calendar 1953: Great Lent from Monday, February 9, 1953 to Saturday, April 4, 1953, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1953
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Tue, Nov 25, 195216 Hathor | Tue, Jan 6, 195328 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Tue, Jan 6, 195328 Koiak | Tue, Jan 6, 195328 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 16, 19538 Tobi | Sun, Jan 18, 195310 Tobi | 3 days |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Jan 26, 195318 Tobi | Wed, Jan 28, 195320 Tobi | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 9, 19532 Meshir | Sat, Apr 4, 195326 Paremhat | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, May 25, 195317 Pashons | Sat, Jul 11, 19534 Epip | 48 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Fri, Aug 7, 19531 Mesori | Fri, Aug 21, 195315 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Wed, Nov 25, 195316 Hathor | Wed, Jan 6, 195428 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.