Coptic Fasting Calendar 2016
Coptic fasting calendar 2016: Great Lent from Monday, March 7, 2016 to Saturday, April 30, 2016, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2016
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Wed, Nov 25, 201515 Hathor | Wed, Jan 6, 201627 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Wed, Jan 6, 201627 Koiak | Wed, Jan 6, 201627 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Tue, Jan 19, 201610 Tobi | Tue, Jan 19, 201610 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 22, 201614 Meshir | Wed, Feb 24, 201616 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 7, 201628 Meshir | Sat, Apr 30, 201622 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 20, 201613 Paoni | Mon, Jul 11, 20164 Epip | 22 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Sun, Aug 7, 20161 Mesori | Sun, Aug 21, 201615 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Fri, Nov 25, 201616 Hathor | Fri, Jan 6, 201728 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.