Coptic Fasting Calendar 1988
Coptic fasting calendar 1988: Great Lent from Monday, February 15, 1988 to Saturday, April 9, 1988, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1988
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Wed, Nov 25, 198715 Hathor | Wed, Jan 6, 198827 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Wed, Jan 6, 198827 Koiak | Wed, Jan 6, 198827 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Tue, Jan 19, 198810 Tobi | Tue, Jan 19, 198810 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 1, 198823 Tobi | Wed, Feb 3, 198825 Tobi | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 15, 19887 Meshir | Sat, Apr 9, 19881 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, May 30, 198822 Pashons | Mon, Jul 11, 19884 Epip | 43 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Sun, Aug 7, 19881 Mesori | Sun, Aug 21, 198815 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Fri, Nov 25, 198816 Hathor | Fri, Jan 6, 198928 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.