Coptic Fasting Calendar 1997
Coptic fasting calendar 1997: Great Lent from Monday, March 3, 1997 to Saturday, April 26, 1997, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1997
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Mon, Nov 25, 199616 Hathor | Mon, Jan 6, 199728 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Mon, Jan 6, 199728 Koiak | Mon, Jan 6, 199728 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 17, 19979 Tobi | Sat, Jan 18, 199710 Tobi | 2 days |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 17, 199710 Meshir | Wed, Feb 19, 199712 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 3, 199724 Meshir | Sat, Apr 26, 199718 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 16, 19979 Paoni | Fri, Jul 11, 19974 Epip | 26 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Thu, Aug 7, 19971 Mesori | Thu, Aug 21, 199715 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Tue, Nov 25, 199716 Hathor | Tue, Jan 6, 199828 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.