| Koiak | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Coptic:Ⲕⲟⲓⲁⲕ |
| Calendar | Coptic calendar |
| Month number | 4 |
| Number of days | 30 |
| Gregorian equivalent | December–January |
Koiak (/ˈkɔːjæk/;Coptic:Ⲕⲟⲓⲁⲕ, [ˈkɔjak]), also known asChoiak (Ancient Greek:Χοιάκ,Khoiák) andKiyahk[1] (Coptic:Ⲕⲓⲁϩⲕ,Kiahk, [ˈkijahk];Arabic:كياك orكيهك), is the fourth month of the ancientEgyptian andCoptic calendars. It lasts between 10 December and 8 January of theGregorian calendar, or between 11 December and 9 January of the Gregorian calendar in Coptic calendar years immediately following a Coptic calendar leap year (which occur every four years, in Coptic calendar years immediately preceding those that are divisible by 4 to produce an integer; i.e., 1719, 1723, 1727, 1731, etc. are all examples of leap years in the Coptic calendar).
The month of Koiak is also the fourth month of the Season ofAkhet (Inundation) inAncient Egypt, when theNile floods historically covered the land. They have not done so since the construction of theHigh Dam atAswan.
The name of the month of Koiak comes from theEgyptian phrasekꜣ ḥr kꜣ "Soul upon Soul", a name of the sacred ancient EgyptianApis Bull. It is attested in cuneiform with the pronunciation𒆪𒄿𒄴𒆪ku-i-iḫ-ku, likely representing /kɔʔ-iḥ-kɔʔ/ with an o-vowel as in later Coptic.[2] It is also attested inImperial Aramaic in the letters of Ananiah in the Jewish colony ofElephantine, Egypt asכיחךkyḥk.[3]
The month of Koiak holds a special place in the rite of theCoptic Orthodox Church. It is known as the "Mariam Month" ("Month of Mary") because theNativity according to theCoptic calendar falls on 29 Koiak. The month is characterized by beautiful midnight praises that commemorate the Lord'sIncarnation and venerate his mother, theVirgin Mary. The name of the Koiak midnight praise translates intoSeven and Four, describing the outline of the praise that consists of 4Canticles and 7 Theotokias (glorifications of Saint Mary).
It was at the beginning of the month of Koiak in Coptic calendar year 1726 that the Virgin Mary was said to haveappeared in churches all over Egypt.[4]
Theliturgies and other services are held in the Kiahky tune. Notable seasonal hymns include "O Mary" and "Efemepsha Ghar."
| Coptic | Julian | Gregorian | Commemorations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koiak 1 | November 27 | December 10 |
|
| Koiak 2 | November 28 | December 11 |
|
| Koiak 3 | November 29 | December 12 |
|
| Koiak 4 | November 30 | December 13 |
|
| Koiak 5 | December 1 | December 14 | |
| Koiak 6 | December 2 | December 15 |
|
| Koiak 7 | December 3 | December 16 |
|
| Koiak 8 | December 4 | December 17 |
|
| Koiak 9 | December 5 | December 18 |
|
| Koiak 10 | December 6 | December 19 |
|
| Koiak 11 | December 7 | December 20 |
|
| Koiak 12 | December 8 | December 21 |
|
| Koiak 13 | December 9 | December 22 |
|
| Koiak 14 | December 10 | December 23 |
|
| Koiak 15 | December 11 | December 24 |
|
| Koiak 16 | December 12 | December 25 | |
| Koiak 17 | December 13 | December 26 |
|
| Koiak 18 | December 14 | December 27 |
|
| Koiak 19 | December 15 | December 28 |
|
| Koiak 20 | December 16 | December 29 |
|
| Koiak 21 | December 17 | December 30 |
|
| Koiak 22 | December 18 | December 31 |
|
| Koiak 23 | December 19 | January 1 |
|
| Koiak 24 | December 20 | January 2 |
|
| Koiak 25 | December 21 | January 3 |
|
| Koiak 26 | December 22 | January 4 |
|
| Koiak 27 | December 23 | January 5 | |
| Koiak 28 | December 24 | January 6 |
|
| Koiak 29 | December 25 | January 7 | |
| Koiak 30 | December 26 | January 8 |
|
During the month of Koiak, many rituals and festivals are performed in Egypt to celebrateOsiris,Isis, andNephthys.[5] These rites have been prominent as early as the New Kingdom.[6] Two women will take the roles of the goddesses, Isis and Nephthys, to mourn for their dead brother Osiris. The main festival was over a length of ten days, ending at the day of Osiris's resurrection. This day also marked the beginning of the new agricultural season, when the Egyptians began to plant new crops for the year. Each day of the festival also featured a scene of purifications, feasts, and constructions of memorials associated with Osiris's resurrection.[7]