Coptic Fasting Calendar 2003
Coptic fasting calendar 2003: Great Lent from Monday, March 3, 2003 to Saturday, April 26, 2003, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2003
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Mon, Nov 25, 200216 Hathor | Mon, Jan 6, 200328 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Mon, Jan 6, 200328 Koiak | Mon, Jan 6, 200328 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 17, 20039 Tobi | Sat, Jan 18, 200310 Tobi | 2 days |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 17, 200310 Meshir | Wed, Feb 19, 200312 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 3, 200324 Meshir | Sat, Apr 26, 200318 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 16, 20039 Paoni | Fri, Jul 11, 20034 Epip | 26 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Thu, Aug 7, 20031 Mesori | Thu, Aug 21, 200315 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Tue, Nov 25, 200315 Hathor | Tue, Jan 6, 200427 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.