Coptic Fasting Calendar 1978
Coptic fasting calendar 1978: Great Lent from Monday, March 6, 1978 to Saturday, April 29, 1978, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1978
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Fri, Nov 25, 197716 Hathor | Fri, Jan 6, 197828 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Fri, Jan 6, 197828 Koiak | Fri, Jan 6, 197828 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Wed, Jan 18, 197810 Tobi | Wed, Jan 18, 197810 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 20, 197813 Meshir | Wed, Feb 22, 197815 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 6, 197827 Meshir | Sat, Apr 29, 197821 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 19, 197812 Paoni | Tue, Jul 11, 19784 Epip | 23 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Mon, Aug 7, 19781 Mesori | Mon, Aug 21, 197815 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sat, Nov 25, 197816 Hathor | Sat, Jan 6, 197928 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.