Coptic Fasting Calendar 2020
Coptic fasting calendar 2020: Great Lent from Monday, February 24, 2020 to Saturday, April 18, 2020, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2020
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Mon, Nov 25, 201915 Hathor | Mon, Jan 6, 202027 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Mon, Jan 6, 202027 Koiak | Mon, Jan 6, 202027 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 17, 20208 Tobi | Sun, Jan 19, 202010 Tobi | 3 days |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 10, 20202 Meshir | Wed, Feb 12, 20204 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 24, 202016 Meshir | Sat, Apr 18, 202010 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 8, 20201 Paoni | Sat, Jul 11, 20204 Epip | 34 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Fri, Aug 7, 20201 Mesori | Fri, Aug 21, 202015 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Wed, Nov 25, 202016 Hathor | Wed, Jan 6, 202128 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.