Coptic Fasting Calendar 2013
Coptic fasting calendar 2013: Great Lent from Monday, March 11, 2013 to Saturday, May 4, 2013, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2013
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sun, Nov 25, 201216 Hathor | Sun, Jan 6, 201328 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Fri, Jan 4, 201326 Koiak | Sun, Jan 6, 201328 Koiak | 3 days |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 18, 201310 Tobi | Fri, Jan 18, 201310 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 25, 201318 Meshir | Wed, Feb 27, 201320 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 11, 20132 Paremhat | Sat, May 4, 201326 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 24, 201317 Paoni | Thu, Jul 11, 20134 Epip | 18 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Wed, Aug 7, 20131 Mesori | Wed, Aug 21, 201315 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Mon, Nov 25, 201316 Hathor | Mon, Jan 6, 201428 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.