Coptic Fasting Calendar 1968
Coptic fasting calendar 1968: Great Lent from Monday, February 26, 1968 to Saturday, April 20, 1968, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1968
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sat, Nov 25, 196715 Hathor | Sat, Jan 6, 196827 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Fri, Jan 5, 196826 Koiak | Sat, Jan 6, 196827 Koiak | 2 days |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 19, 196810 Tobi | Fri, Jan 19, 196810 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 12, 19684 Meshir | Wed, Feb 14, 19686 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 26, 196818 Meshir | Sat, Apr 20, 196812 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 10, 19683 Paoni | Thu, Jul 11, 19684 Epip | 32 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Wed, Aug 7, 19681 Mesori | Wed, Aug 21, 196815 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Mon, Nov 25, 196816 Hathor | Mon, Jan 6, 196928 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.