Coptic Fasting Calendar 2019
Coptic fasting calendar 2019: Great Lent from Monday, March 4, 2019 to Saturday, April 27, 2019, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2019
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sun, Nov 25, 201816 Hathor | Sun, Jan 6, 201928 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Fri, Jan 4, 201926 Koiak | Sun, Jan 6, 201928 Koiak | 3 days |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 18, 201910 Tobi | Fri, Jan 18, 201910 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 18, 201911 Meshir | Wed, Feb 20, 201913 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 4, 201925 Meshir | Sat, Apr 27, 201919 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 17, 201910 Paoni | Thu, Jul 11, 20194 Epip | 25 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Wed, Aug 7, 20191 Mesori | Wed, Aug 21, 201915 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Mon, Nov 25, 201915 Hathor | Mon, Jan 6, 202027 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.