Is this the only Lent?
By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10
In the Coptic Orthodox Church, while the Great Fast (the 55 days leading to the Resurrection) is the most prominent and is often what people refer to when they say "Lent," it is not the only period of fasting. The Coptic Church is a fasting church, sanctifying the majority of the year through various fasts.
The other major fasts in the Coptic Orthodox tradition include:
1. The Fast of the Nativity (Advent)
This fast precedes the Feast of the Nativity. It lasts for 43 days, beginning on the 16th of the Coptic month of Hathor (November 25th). The 40 days correspond to the fast of Moses the Prophet to receive the Word of God written on stone, and the additional 3 days commemorate the miracle of moving the Muqattam Mountain through the prayers of the Coptic faithful and St. Simon the Tanner.
2. The Fast of the Apostles
This fast begins the day after the Feast of Pentecost and ends on the 5th of Epip (July 12th), which is the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul. Its duration varies depending on the date of Resurrection Sunday. It commemorates the fast the Apostles kept after the Holy Spirit descended upon them before they began their mission to preach the Gospel.
3. The Fast of the Virgin Mary
This is a 15-day fast (August 7th to August 21st) leading up to the Feast of the Assumption of the body of the Theotokos. It is a beloved fast in the Coptic Church, where the faithful honor the Mother of God.
4. The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah’s Fast)
This is a 3-day fast that occurs two weeks before the Great Fast. It commemorates the repentance of the people of Nineveh following the preaching of Jonah the Prophet. In Coptic tradition, this is seen as a "mini-Lent" that prepares the heart for the Great Fast.
5. Wednesday and Friday Fasting
Except during the fifty days of joy following the Resurrection, Coptic Orthodox Christians fast every Wednesday (in memory of the betrayal of Christ) and Friday (in memory of His crucifixion).
6. The Paramoun (Preparation) Fasts
Special strict fasts are observed the day before the Feast of the Nativity and the Feast of Theophany.
The Orthodox Perspective
It is important to distinguish the Coptic Orthodox practice from other groups. While some heretical groups or modern denominations (like various Protestant sects) have largely abandoned prescribed fasting or treat it as an optional individual preference, the Coptic Church maintains these fasts as collective, liturgical acts of worship. We follow the ancient path of the Fathers, recognizing that spiritual warfare requires the discipline of the body. We do not follow the innovations of those who have strayed from the Apostolic tradition, but rather hold fast to what has been handed down to us through the centuries.