What's the next fast coming up, and when?

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

Currently, we are in the season of the Advent Fast (the Fast of the Nativity).

The Advent Fast

The Advent Fast began on November 25th (16 Hathor) and continues for 43 days, concluding with the Feast of the Nativity on January 7th (29 Kiahk).

• Purpose: This fast prepares the faithful for the Nativity of Christ in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.
• Significance: It reminds us of the forty days Moses fasted before receiving the Word of God on stone tablets. We fast forty days to receive the Word of God Himself, followed by three additional days to commemorate the miracle of the moving of the Mukattam Mountain during the time of St. Abraam Ibn Zaraa.
• Rules: This is considered a second-degree fast. The period of abstinence (no eating or drinking) typically lasts until 3:00 PM (or sunset, depending on individual discipline and health), and fish is permitted except on Wednesdays and Fridays.

The Next Upcoming Fast: The Fast of Nineveh

Following the Nativity and the feast period, the next fast on the calendar is the Fast of Nineveh.

• When: It begins two weeks before the start of Great Lent. For the year 2025, the Fast of Nineveh will begin on Monday, February 10th.
• Duration: It lasts for three days.
• Nature: This is a first-degree fast, meaning it is very strict. No fish is permitted, and the faithful practice a high level of abstinence to remember the repentance of the people of Nineveh and the three days Jonah spent in the belly of the whale.

Immediately following the Fast of Nineveh and a short break, we enter Great Lent, which includes the preliminary week added in the seventh century to the original forty days, bringing the total to eight weeks leading up to the glorious feast of the Resurrection.