Coptic Fasting Calendar 1979
Coptic fasting calendar 1979: Great Lent from Monday, February 26, 1979 to Saturday, April 21, 1979, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1979
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sat, Nov 25, 197816 Hathor | Sat, Jan 6, 197928 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Fri, Jan 5, 197927 Koiak | Sat, Jan 6, 197928 Koiak | 2 days |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Thu, Jan 18, 197910 Tobi | Thu, Jan 18, 197910 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 12, 19795 Meshir | Wed, Feb 14, 19797 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 26, 197919 Meshir | Sat, Apr 21, 197913 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 11, 19794 Paoni | Wed, Jul 11, 19794 Epip | 31 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Tue, Aug 7, 19791 Mesori | Tue, Aug 21, 197915 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sun, Nov 25, 197915 Hathor | Sun, Jan 6, 198027 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.