Coptic Fasting Calendar 1998
Coptic fasting calendar 1998: Great Lent from Monday, February 23, 1998 to Saturday, April 18, 1998, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 1998
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Tue, Nov 25, 199716 Hathor | Tue, Jan 6, 199828 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Tue, Jan 6, 199828 Koiak | Tue, Jan 6, 199828 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 16, 19988 Tobi | Sun, Jan 18, 199810 Tobi | 3 days |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 9, 19982 Meshir | Wed, Feb 11, 19984 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 23, 199816 Meshir | Sat, Apr 18, 199810 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 8, 19981 Paoni | Sat, Jul 11, 19984 Epip | 34 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Fri, Aug 7, 19981 Mesori | Fri, Aug 21, 199815 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Wed, Nov 25, 199816 Hathor | Wed, Jan 6, 199928 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.