Coptic calendar

The Coptic calendar, also called the Alexandrian calendar, is a liturgical calendar used by the Coptic Orthodox and Coptic Catholic churches, and by the farming populace (Muslims and Christians alike) in Egypt. It was used for fiscal purposes in Egypt until its adoption of the Gregorian calendar on . Like the Julian calendar (and unlike the international Gregorian calendar), the Coptic calendar has a leap year every four years invariably; it does not skip leap years three times every 400 years.

Origin

This calendar is based on the ancient Egyptian calendar. That calendar contained only 365 days each and every year, so that the date relative to the seasons shifted about one day every four years. To avoid this drift with respect to the seasons, a reform of the ancient Egyptian calendar was introduced at the time of Ptolemy III (Decree of Canopus, in 238 BC), which added an extra day to the calendar every fourth year. However, this reform was opposed by the Egyptian priests, and the reform was not adopted until the Roman Emperor Augustus decreed that Egypt must adopt the system as its official calendar.

The epoch (first day of first year) of the Coptic calendar equates to 29 August 284AD, the year Diocletian became Roman Emperor. His reign was marked by tortures and mass executions of Christians, especially in Egypt. It is for this reason that the Coptic year numbering is identified by the abbreviation A.M. (for Anno Martyrum or "in the Year of the Martyrs").

To distinguish it from the Ancient Egyptian calendar, which remained in use by some astronomers until medieval times, this reformed calendar is known as the Coptic or Alexandrian calendar. The neighbouring Ethiopian calendar is very similar to the Coptic calendar, except that it has a different epoch (29 August, 8AD) and different names for the days of the week and months of the year.

Coptic year

The Coptic year is the extension of the ancient Egyptian civil year, retaining its subdivision into the three seasons, four months each. The three seasons are commemorated by special prayers in the Coptic Liturgy. This calendar is still in use all over Egypt by farmers to keep track of the various agricultural seasons.

The Coptic calendar has 13 months, 12 of 30 days each and a short intercalary month at the end of the year consisting of five days (six days in leap years). The Coptic Leap Year follows the same rules as the Julian Calendar so that the extra month always has six days in the year before a Julian Leap Year.

The year starts on the Feast of Neyrouz, the first day of the month of Thout, the first month of the Egyptian year. For 1900 to 2099 it coincides with the Gregorian Calendar's 11 September, or 12 September before a leap year. For any year, it coincides with the Julian Calendar's 29 August, or 30 August before a leap year. To obtain the Coptic year number, subtract from the Julian year number either 283 (before the Julian new year) or 284 (after it).

Easter The date of Easter is determined the same way as is done by the Orthodox churches.

Christmas

In Coptic Christendom, the feast of Christmas is observed on 29 Koiak of the Coptic calendar (25 December (Julian), 7 January Gregorian. states that Christmas has always been celebrated on 29 Kiahk in the Coptic calendar, and that this is equivalent to 25 December in the Julian calendar (until 2100, 7 January Gregorian).)

Months Using the ancient Egyptian calendar months, the following table refers to dates for Coptic years not containing 29 February. Such years are preceded by a Coptic leap day at the end of the preceding year. This causes dates to move one day later in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars from the Coptic New Year's Day until the leap day of the Julian or Gregorian Calendar respectively.

No.NameEthiopian calendarJulian calendar datesGregorian calendar dates (1900–2099, common years)SeasonCoptic name originBohairicCopticSahidicCopticTransliterationArabicpronunciation1 Thout Mäskäräm (መስከረም) 29 August – 27 September 11 September – 10 October Akhet (Inundation) : Thoth, god of Wisdom and Science2 Paopi Ṭəqəmt(i) (ጥቅምት) 28 September – 27 October 11 October – 9 November : Opet Festival3 Hathor Ḫədar (ኅዳር) 28 October – 26 November 10 November – 9 December : Hathor, goddess of beauty and love (the land is lush and green)4 Koiak Taḫśaś ( ታኅሣሥ) 27 November – 26 December 10 December – 8 January : "spirit upon spirit," the name of a festival5 Tobi Ṭərr(i) (ጥር) 27 December – 25 January 9 January – 7 February Proyet, Peret, Poret (Growth) : "The offering"6 Meshir Yäkatit (Tn. Läkatit) (የካቲት) 26 January – 24 February 8 February – 9 March : The name of a festival, perhaps identical with a type of basket used in that festival7 Paremhat Mägabit (መጋቢት) 25 February – 26 March 10 March – 8 April : "Festival of Amenhotep"8 Parmouti Miyazya (ሚያዝያ) 27 March – 25 April 9 April – 8 May : "Festival of harvest goddess Renenutet"9 Pashons Gənbo (t) (ግንቦት) 26 April – 25 May 9 May – 7 June Shomu or Shemu (Harvest) "Festival of Khonsu"10 Paoni Säne (ሰኔ) 26 May – 24 June 8 June – 7 July : valley festival11 Epip Ḥamle (ሐምሌ) 25 June – 24 July 8 July – 6 August : meaning unknown12 Mesori Nähase (ነሐሴ) 25 July – 23 August 7 August – 5 September : birth of Ra13 Pi Kogi Enavot Ṗagʷəmen/Ṗagume (ጳጐሜን/ጳጉሜ) 24 August – 28 August 6 September – 10 September Bohairic: The Little Month; Sahidic: Greek < < < : to bring in

Coptic calendar

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