Coptic Fasting Calendar 2014
Coptic fasting calendar 2014: Great Lent from Monday, February 24, 2014 to Saturday, April 19, 2014, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2014
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Mon, Nov 25, 201316 Hathor | Mon, Jan 6, 201428 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Mon, Jan 6, 201428 Koiak | Mon, Jan 6, 201428 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 17, 20149 Tobi | Sat, Jan 18, 201410 Tobi | 2 days |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 10, 20143 Meshir | Wed, Feb 12, 20145 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 24, 201417 Meshir | Sat, Apr 19, 201411 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 9, 20142 Paoni | Fri, Jul 11, 20144 Epip | 33 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Thu, Aug 7, 20141 Mesori | Thu, Aug 21, 201415 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Tue, Nov 25, 201416 Hathor | Tue, Jan 6, 201528 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.