Coptic Fasting Calendar 2010
Coptic fasting calendar 2010: Great Lent from Monday, February 8, 2010 to Saturday, April 3, 2010, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2010
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Wed, Nov 25, 200916 Hathor | Wed, Jan 6, 201028 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Wed, Jan 6, 201028 Koiak | Wed, Jan 6, 201028 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Mon, Jan 18, 201010 Tobi | Mon, Jan 18, 201010 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Jan 25, 201017 Tobi | Wed, Jan 27, 201019 Tobi | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 8, 20101 Meshir | Sat, Apr 3, 201025 Paremhat | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, May 24, 201016 Pashons | Sun, Jul 11, 20104 Epip | 49 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Sat, Aug 7, 20101 Mesori | Sat, Aug 21, 201015 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Thu, Nov 25, 201016 Hathor | Thu, Jan 6, 201128 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.