Coptic Fasting Calendar 1996
Coptic fasting calendar 1996: Great Lent from Monday, February 19, 1996 to Saturday, April 13, 1996, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1996
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sat, Nov 25, 199515 Hathor | Sat, Jan 6, 199627 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Fri, Jan 5, 199626 Koiak | Sat, Jan 6, 199627 Koiak | 2 days |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 19, 199610 Tobi | Fri, Jan 19, 199610 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 5, 199627 Tobi | Wed, Feb 7, 199629 Tobi | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 19, 199611 Meshir | Sat, Apr 13, 19965 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 3, 199626 Pashons | Thu, Jul 11, 19964 Epip | 39 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Wed, Aug 7, 19961 Mesori | Wed, Aug 21, 199615 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Mon, Nov 25, 199616 Hathor | Mon, Jan 6, 199728 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.