Coptic Fasting Calendar 2021
Coptic fasting calendar 2021: Great Lent from Monday, March 8, 2021 to Saturday, May 1, 2021, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2021
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Wed, Nov 25, 202016 Hathor | Wed, Jan 6, 202128 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Wed, Jan 6, 202128 Koiak | Wed, Jan 6, 202128 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Mon, Jan 18, 202110 Tobi | Mon, Jan 18, 202110 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 22, 202115 Meshir | Wed, Feb 24, 202117 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 8, 202129 Meshir | Sat, May 1, 202123 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 21, 202114 Paoni | Sun, Jul 11, 20214 Epip | 21 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Sat, Aug 7, 20211 Mesori | Sat, Aug 21, 202115 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Thu, Nov 25, 202116 Hathor | Thu, Jan 6, 202228 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.