Coptic Fasting Calendar 2006
Coptic fasting calendar 2006: Great Lent from Monday, February 27, 2006 to Saturday, April 22, 2006, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2006
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Fri, Nov 25, 200516 Hathor | Fri, Jan 6, 200628 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Fri, Jan 6, 200628 Koiak | Fri, Jan 6, 200628 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Wed, Jan 18, 200610 Tobi | Wed, Jan 18, 200610 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 13, 20066 Meshir | Wed, Feb 15, 20068 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 27, 200620 Meshir | Sat, Apr 22, 200614 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 12, 20065 Paoni | Tue, Jul 11, 20064 Epip | 30 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Mon, Aug 7, 20061 Mesori | Mon, Aug 21, 200615 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sat, Nov 25, 200616 Hathor | Sat, Jan 6, 200728 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.