Coptic Fasting Calendar 2009
Coptic fasting calendar 2009: Great Lent from Monday, February 23, 2009 to Saturday, April 18, 2009, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2009
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Tue, Nov 25, 200816 Hathor | Tue, Jan 6, 200928 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Tue, Jan 6, 200928 Koiak | Tue, Jan 6, 200928 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 16, 20098 Tobi | Sun, Jan 18, 200910 Tobi | 3 days |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 9, 20092 Meshir | Wed, Feb 11, 20094 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 23, 200916 Meshir | Sat, Apr 18, 200910 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 8, 20091 Paoni | Sat, Jul 11, 20094 Epip | 34 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Fri, Aug 7, 20091 Mesori | Fri, Aug 21, 200915 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Wed, Nov 25, 200916 Hathor | Wed, Jan 6, 201028 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.