Coptic Fasting Calendar 1981
Coptic fasting calendar 1981: Great Lent from Monday, March 2, 1981 to Saturday, April 25, 1981, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1981
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Tue, Nov 25, 198016 Hathor | Tue, Jan 6, 198128 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Tue, Jan 6, 198128 Koiak | Tue, Jan 6, 198128 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 16, 19818 Tobi | Sun, Jan 18, 198110 Tobi | 3 days |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 16, 19819 Meshir | Wed, Feb 18, 198111 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 2, 198123 Meshir | Sat, Apr 25, 198117 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 15, 19818 Paoni | Sat, Jul 11, 19814 Epip | 27 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Fri, Aug 7, 19811 Mesori | Fri, Aug 21, 198115 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Wed, Nov 25, 198116 Hathor | Wed, Jan 6, 198228 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.