Coptic Fasting Calendar 1987
Coptic fasting calendar 1987: Great Lent from Monday, February 23, 1987 to Saturday, April 18, 1987, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1987
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Tue, Nov 25, 198616 Hathor | Tue, Jan 6, 198728 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Tue, Jan 6, 198728 Koiak | Tue, Jan 6, 198728 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 16, 19878 Tobi | Sun, Jan 18, 198710 Tobi | 3 days |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 9, 19872 Meshir | Wed, Feb 11, 19874 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 23, 198716 Meshir | Sat, Apr 18, 198710 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 8, 19871 Paoni | Sat, Jul 11, 19874 Epip | 34 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Fri, Aug 7, 19871 Mesori | Fri, Aug 21, 198715 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Wed, Nov 25, 198715 Hathor | Wed, Jan 6, 198827 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.