Coptic Fasting Calendar 1983
Coptic fasting calendar 1983: Great Lent from Monday, March 14, 1983 to Saturday, May 7, 1983, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1983
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Thu, Nov 25, 198216 Hathor | Thu, Jan 6, 198328 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Thu, Jan 6, 198328 Koiak | Thu, Jan 6, 198328 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Tue, Jan 18, 198310 Tobi | Tue, Jan 18, 198310 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 28, 198321 Meshir | Wed, Mar 2, 198323 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 14, 19835 Paremhat | Sat, May 7, 198329 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 27, 198320 Paoni | Mon, Jul 11, 19834 Epip | 15 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Sun, Aug 7, 19831 Mesori | Sun, Aug 21, 198315 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Fri, Nov 25, 198315 Hathor | Fri, Jan 6, 198427 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.