Coptic Fasting Calendar 2023
Coptic fasting calendar 2023: Great Lent from Monday, February 20, 2023 to Saturday, April 15, 2023, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2023
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Fri, Nov 25, 202216 Hathor | Fri, Jan 6, 202328 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Fri, Jan 6, 202328 Koiak | Fri, Jan 6, 202328 Koiak | 1 day |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Wed, Jan 18, 202310 Tobi | Wed, Jan 18, 202310 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 6, 202329 Tobi | Wed, Feb 8, 20231 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Feb 20, 202313 Meshir | Sat, Apr 15, 20237 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 5, 202328 Pashons | Tue, Jul 11, 20234 Epip | 37 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Mon, Aug 7, 20231 Mesori | Mon, Aug 21, 202315 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sat, Nov 25, 202315 Hathor | Sat, Jan 6, 202427 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.