What is the Feast of the Cross, and how is its date determined?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

The Feast of the Cross (— is native Coptic for "feast," while is a Greek loanword for "cross") is one of the most venerable celebrations in the Church. The Holy Cross is venerated not as a mere symbol, but as the altar upon which our Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself as the spotless sacrifice to redeem mankind from the curse of sin and death.

The Church celebrates two distinct Feasts of the Cross every liturgical year.

The Two Feasts of the Cross

1. The Feast of 17 Tout (Celebrated 17–19 Tout)

• Historical Commemoration: This feast commemorates the discovery of the Holy Cross by Empress Helen (mother of Emperor Constantine the Great) and the consecration of the Church of the Resurrection (the Holy Sepulchre) in Jerusalem in 326 A.D. Over decades, the Jews and pagan Roman authorities had buried Golgotha under heaps of refuse and filth to obscure the site of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Queen Helen journeyed to Jerusalem, located the site through the testimony of an elder named Judas, cleared the mound, and unearthed three crosses. The true Cross of Christ was revealed when a dead man was brought to life upon touching it.
• Duration: Celebrated for three consecutive days (17, 18, and 19 Tout).
• Gregorian Equivalent: Corresponds to September 27 (or September 28 in the year preceding a Coptic leap year).

2. The Feast of 10 Baramhat

• Historical Commemoration: This feast commemorates the initial uncovering of the Cross by Queen Helen, as well as the later retrieval and return of the Holy Cross to Jerusalem by Emperor Heraclius in 628 A.D. after it had been captured by the Persian Empire.
• Duration: Celebrated for only one day because it always falls during the Holy Forty Days of Great Lent.
• Gregorian Equivalent: Corresponds to March 19.

How the Date Is Determined

Unlike the date of the Resurrection (Pascha), which is movable and calculated via the Alexandrian Computus (based on the vernal equinox and the lunar cycle), the dates for the Feasts of the Cross are fixed dates on the ancient Coptic solar calendar:

1. 17 Tout: This date never changes on the Coptic calendar. Because the Coptic year consists of 12 months of 30 days plus a short month of 5 or 6 intercalary days, 17 Tout is anchored strictly to the solar cycle.
2. 10 Baramhat: This is likewise a fixed date on the Coptic solar calendar. While it always falls within Great Lent (since Lent moves based on Pascha), the date of 10 Baramhat itself does not move.

Liturgical Rites of the Feast

• Liturgical Tune: Both feasts are celebrated using the joyful Shaanini (Hosanna / Palm Sunday) tune, reflecting the victory and royal majesty of Christ the King reigning from the Tree.
• Procession: A formal procession of the Cross takes place during the Liturgy of the Word, pausing at specific icons throughout the church (the altar, the icon of the Virgin Mary, the archangels, John the Baptist, the apostles, and the martyrs) with designated gospel readings and responses.
• Sunday Precedence: Because the Cross is central to the mystery of salvation, if either Feast of the Cross falls on a Sunday, the readings and hymns of the Feast of the Cross supersede and replace the regular Sunday cycle of readings.
• Fasting Rules on 10 Baramhat: Because 10 Baramhat invariably falls during Great Lent, the fast is not broken; the Church remains fasting with strict abstinence (no fish or animal products), but metanias (prostrations of repentance) during the Liturgy are suspended in honor of the joyful celebration of the Holy Cross.