Coptic Fasting Calendar 1957
Coptic fasting calendar 1957: Great Lent from Monday, February 25, 1957 to Saturday, April 20, 1957, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1957
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sun, Nov 25, 195616 Hathor | Sun, Jan 6, 195728 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Fri, Jan 4, 195726 Koiak | Sun, Jan 6, 195728 Koiak | 3 days |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 18, 195710 Tobi | Fri, Jan 18, 195710 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 11, 19574 Meshir | Wed, Feb 13, 19576 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 25, 195718 Meshir | Sat, Apr 20, 195712 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 10, 19573 Paoni | Thu, Jul 11, 19574 Epip | 32 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Wed, Aug 7, 19571 Mesori | Wed, Aug 21, 195715 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Mon, Nov 25, 195716 Hathor | Mon, Jan 6, 195828 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.