Coptic Fasting Calendar 2024
Coptic fasting calendar 2024: Great Lent from Monday, March 11, 2024 to Saturday, May 4, 2024, with the Fast of Nineveh, the Apostles' Fast, St. Mary's Fast, the Nativity Fast and the paramoun.
The fasts of 2024
| Fast | Begins | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Sat, Nov 25, 202315 Hathor | Sat, Jan 6, 202427 Koiak | 43 days |
| Paramoun of the Nativity | Fri, Jan 5, 202426 Koiak | Sat, Jan 6, 202427 Koiak | 2 days |
| Paramoun of the Theophany | Fri, Jan 19, 202410 Tobi | Fri, Jan 19, 202410 Tobi | 1 day |
| The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah) | Mon, Feb 26, 202418 Meshir | Wed, Feb 28, 202420 Meshir | 3 days |
| Great Lent | Mon, Mar 11, 20242 Paremhat | Sat, May 4, 202426 Parmouti | 55 days |
| The Apostles' Fast | Mon, Jun 24, 202417 Paoni | Thu, Jul 11, 20244 Epip | 18 days |
| The Fast of the Virgin Mary | Wed, Aug 7, 20241 Mesori | Wed, Aug 21, 202415 Mesori | 15 days |
| The Nativity Fast (Advent) | Mon, Nov 25, 202416 Hathor | Mon, Jan 6, 202528 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.