Coptic Fasting Calendar 2008
Coptic fasting calendar 2008: Great Lent from Monday, March 3, 2008 to Saturday, April 26, 2008, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2008
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sun, Nov 25, 200715 Hathor | Sun, Jan 6, 200827 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Fri, Jan 4, 200825 Koiak | Sun, Jan 6, 200827 Koiak | 3 days |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 18, 20089 Tobi | Sat, Jan 19, 200810 Tobi | 2 days |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 18, 200810 Meshir | Wed, Feb 20, 200812 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 3, 200824 Meshir | Sat, Apr 26, 200818 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 16, 20089 Paoni | Fri, Jul 11, 20084 Epip | 26 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Thu, Aug 7, 20081 Mesori | Thu, Aug 21, 200815 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Tue, Nov 25, 200816 Hathor | Tue, Jan 6, 200928 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.