Coptic Fasting Calendar 2018
Coptic fasting calendar 2018: Great Lent from Monday, February 12, 2018 to Saturday, April 7, 2018, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2018
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sat, Nov 25, 201716 Hathor | Sat, Jan 6, 201828 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Fri, Jan 5, 201827 Koiak | Sat, Jan 6, 201828 Koiak | 2 days |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Thu, Jan 18, 201810 Tobi | Thu, Jan 18, 201810 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Jan 29, 201821 Tobi | Wed, Jan 31, 201823 Tobi | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 12, 20185 Meshir | Sat, Apr 7, 201829 Paremhat | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, May 28, 201820 Pashons | Wed, Jul 11, 20184 Epip | 45 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Tue, Aug 7, 20181 Mesori | Tue, Aug 21, 201815 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sun, Nov 25, 201816 Hathor | Sun, Jan 6, 201928 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.