Coptic Fasting Calendar 1986
Coptic fasting calendar 1986: Great Lent from Monday, March 10, 1986 to Saturday, May 3, 1986, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1986
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Mon, Nov 25, 198516 Hathor | Mon, Jan 6, 198628 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Mon, Jan 6, 198628 Koiak | Mon, Jan 6, 198628 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 17, 19869 Tobi | Sat, Jan 18, 198610 Tobi | 2 days |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 24, 198617 Meshir | Wed, Feb 26, 198619 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 10, 19861 Paremhat | Sat, May 3, 198625 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 23, 198616 Paoni | Fri, Jul 11, 19864 Epip | 19 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Thu, Aug 7, 19861 Mesori | Thu, Aug 21, 198615 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Tue, Nov 25, 198616 Hathor | Tue, Jan 6, 198728 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.