Coptic Fasting Calendar 2002
Coptic fasting calendar 2002: Great Lent from Monday, March 11, 2002 to Saturday, May 4, 2002, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2002
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sun, Nov 25, 200116 Hathor | Sun, Jan 6, 200228 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Fri, Jan 4, 200226 Koiak | Sun, Jan 6, 200228 Koiak | 3 days |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 18, 200210 Tobi | Fri, Jan 18, 200210 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 25, 200218 Meshir | Wed, Feb 27, 200220 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 11, 20022 Paremhat | Sat, May 4, 200226 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 24, 200217 Paoni | Thu, Jul 11, 20024 Epip | 18 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Wed, Aug 7, 20021 Mesori | Wed, Aug 21, 200215 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Mon, Nov 25, 200216 Hathor | Mon, Jan 6, 200328 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.