Coptic Fasting Calendar 1959
Coptic fasting calendar 1959: Great Lent from Monday, March 9, 1959 to Saturday, May 2, 1959, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1959
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Tue, Nov 25, 195816 Hathor | Tue, Jan 6, 195928 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Tue, Jan 6, 195928 Koiak | Tue, Jan 6, 195928 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 16, 19598 Tobi | Sun, Jan 18, 195910 Tobi | 3 days |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 23, 195916 Meshir | Wed, Feb 25, 195918 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 9, 195930 Meshir | Sat, May 2, 195924 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 22, 195915 Paoni | Sat, Jul 11, 19594 Epip | 20 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Fri, Aug 7, 19591 Mesori | Fri, Aug 21, 195915 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Wed, Nov 25, 195915 Hathor | Wed, Jan 6, 196027 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.