Coptic Fasting Calendar 2017
Coptic fasting calendar 2017: Great Lent from Monday, February 20, 2017 to Saturday, April 15, 2017, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2017
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Fri, Nov 25, 201616 Hathor | Fri, Jan 6, 201728 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Fri, Jan 6, 201728 Koiak | Fri, Jan 6, 201728 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Wed, Jan 18, 201710 Tobi | Wed, Jan 18, 201710 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 6, 201729 Tobi | Wed, Feb 8, 20171 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 20, 201713 Meshir | Sat, Apr 15, 20177 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 5, 201728 Pashons | Tue, Jul 11, 20174 Epip | 37 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Mon, Aug 7, 20171 Mesori | Mon, Aug 21, 201715 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sat, Nov 25, 201716 Hathor | Sat, Jan 6, 201828 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.