Coptic Fasting Calendar 2005
Coptic fasting calendar 2005: Great Lent from Monday, March 7, 2005 to Saturday, April 30, 2005, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2005
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Thu, Nov 25, 200416 Hathor | Thu, Jan 6, 200528 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Thu, Jan 6, 200528 Koiak | Thu, Jan 6, 200528 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Tue, Jan 18, 200510 Tobi | Tue, Jan 18, 200510 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 21, 200514 Meshir | Wed, Feb 23, 200516 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 7, 200528 Meshir | Sat, Apr 30, 200522 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 20, 200513 Paoni | Mon, Jul 11, 20054 Epip | 22 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Sun, Aug 7, 20051 Mesori | Sun, Aug 21, 200515 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Fri, Nov 25, 200516 Hathor | Fri, Jan 6, 200628 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.