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TheCoptic calendar, also called theAlexandrian calendar, is aliturgical calendar used by thefarming populace in Egypt and used by theCoptic Orthodox andCoptic Catholic churches. It was used for fiscal purposes in Egypt until theadoption of the Gregorian calendar on 11 September 1875 (1st Thout 1592AM).[1] Like the Julian calendar (and unlike the internationalGregorian calendar), the Coptic calendar has a leap year every four years invariably; it does not skip leap years three times every 400 years.[2]
This calendar is based on the ancientEgyptian calendar. This calendar contained only 365 days each year, year after year, so that the date relative to the seasons shifted about one day every four years. To avoid the "creep" of the latter around the seasons, a reform of the ancient Egyptian calendar was introduced at the time ofPtolemy III (Decree of Canopus, in 238 BC) which consisted ofadding an extra day every fourth year. However, this reform was opposed by the Egyptian priests, and the reform was not adopted until theRoman EmperorAugustus decreed thatEgypt must adopt the system as its official calendar.[3][better source needed][a]
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 and itsepoch (first day of first year) equates to 29 August 284 AD. The neighbouringEthiopian calendar is very similar to the Coptic calendar, except that it has a different epoch (29 August, 8 AD) and different names for the days of the week and months of the year.[2] Like the Julian calendar (and unlike the internationalGregorian calendar), the Coptic calendar has a leap year every four years invariably; it does not skip leap years three times every 400 years.[2]
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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.[4]
The Coptic calendar has 13 months, 12 of 30 days each and one at the end of the year 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.[5]
The year starts on the Feast ofNeyrouz, the first day of the month ofThout, 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. Coptic years are counted from 284 AD,[2] the yearDiocletian became Roman Emperor, whose reign was marked by tortures and mass executions of Christians, especially in Egypt.[5] Hence, the Coptic year is identified by the abbreviation A.M. (forAnno Martyrum or "in the Year of the Martyrs"). The first day of the first year of the Coptic era was 29 August 284 in the Julian calendar.[b] To obtain the Coptic year number, subtract from the Julian year number either 283 (before the Julian new year) or 284 (after it).
Thedate of Easter is determined the same way as is done by the Orthodox churches.[2]
In Coptic Christendom, the feast of Christmas is observed on 29Koiak of the Coptic calendar (25 December (Julian), 7 JanuaryGregorian.[6])
The following table refers to dates for Coptic years not containing29 February. Such years are preceded by a Copticleap 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. | Name | Ethiopian calendar | Julian calendar dates | Gregorian calendar dates (1900–2099) | Season | Coptic name origin[7][8] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bohairic Coptic | Sahidic Coptic | Transliteration | Arabic[9] pronunciation [clarification needed –discuss] | ||||||
| 1 | Ⲑⲱⲟⲩⲧ | Ⲑⲟⲟⲩⲧ | Thout | توتTūt | Mäskäräm (መስከረም) | 29 August – 27 September | 11 September – 10 October | Akhet (Inundation) | ḏḥwty:Thoth, god of Wisdom and Science |
| 2 | Ⲡⲁⲟⲡⲓ | Ⲡⲁⲱⲡⲉ | Paopi | بابهBābah | Ṭəqəmt(i) (ጥቅምት) | 28 September – 27 October | 11 October – 9 November | pꜣ-n-jpt:Opet Festival | |
| 3 | Ⲁⲑⲱⲣ | Ϩⲁⲑⲱⲣ | Hathor | هاتورHātūr | Ḫədar (ኅዳር) | 28 October – 26 November | 10 November – 9 December | Ḥwt-ḥr:Hathor, goddess of beauty and love (the land is lush and green) | |
| 4 | Ⲭⲟⲓⲁⲕ | Ⲕⲟⲓⲁϩⲕ | Koiak | كياكKyak | Taḫśaś ( ታኅሣሥ) | 27 November – 26 December | 10 December – 8 January | kꜣ-ḥr-kꜣ: "spirit upon spirit," the name of a festival | |
| 5 | Ⲧⲱⲃⲓ | Ⲧⲱⲃⲉ | Tobi | طوبهṬūbah | Ṭərr(i) (ጥር) | 27 December – 25 January | 9 January – 7 February | Proyet, Peret, Poret (Growth) | tꜣ-ꜥꜣbt: "The offering" |
| 6 | Ⲙⲉϣⲓⲣ | Ⲙϣⲓⲣ | Meshir | أمشيرʾAmshīr | Yäkatit (Tn. Läkatit) (የካቲት) | 26 January – 24 February | 8 February – 8 March | mḫjr: The name of a festival, perhaps identical with a type of basket used in that festival | |
| 7 | Ⲡⲁⲣⲉⲙϩⲁⲧ | Ⲡⲁⲣⲙϩⲟⲧⲡ | Paremhat | برمهاتBaramhāt | Mägabit (መጋቢት) | 25 February – 26 March | 9 March – 8 April | pꜣ-n-jmnḥtp: "Festival ofAmenhotep" | |
| 8 | Ⲫⲁⲣⲙⲟⲩⲑⲓ | Ⲡⲁⲣⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ | Parmouti | برمودهBaramūdah | Miyazya (ሚያዝያ) | 27 March – 25 April | 9 April – 8 May | pꜣ-n-Rnnwtt: "Festival of harvest goddessRenenutet" | |
| 9 | Ⲡⲁϣⲟⲛⲥ | Ⲡⲁϣⲟⲛⲥ | Pashons | بشنسBashans | Gənbo (t) (ግንቦት) | 26 April – 25 May | 9 May – 7 June | Shomu or Shemu (Harvest) | pꜣ-n-ḫnsw "Festival ofKhonsu" |
| 10 | Ⲡⲁⲱⲛⲓ | Ⲡⲁⲱⲛⲉ | Paoni | بأونهBaʾūnah | Säne (ሰኔ) | 26 May – 24 June | 8 June – 7 July | pꜣ-n-jnt: valley festival | |
| 11 | Ⲉⲡⲓⲡ | Ⲉⲡⲏⲡ | Epip | أبيبʾAbīb | Ḥamle (ሐምሌ) | 25 June – 24 July | 8 July – 6 August | jpjp: meaning unknown | |
| 12 | Ⲙⲉⲥⲱⲣⲓ | Ⲙⲉⲥⲱⲣⲏ | Mesori | مسراMesra | Nähase (ነሐሴ) | 25 July – 23 August | 7 August – 5 September | mswt rꜥ: birth ofRa | |
| 13 | Ⲡⲓⲕⲟⲩϫⲓ ⲛ̀ⲁ̀ⲃⲟⲧ | Ⲉⲡⲁⲅⲟⲙⲉⲛⲁⲓ[10] | Pi Kogi Enavot | نسيئNasīʾ | Ṗagʷəmen/Ṗagume (ጳጐሜን/ጳጉሜ) | 24 August – 28 August | 6 September – 10 September | Bohairic: The Little Month; Sahidic: Greekἐπαγόμεναι <ἐπαγωγή <ἐπαγειν <ἐπι + ἄγειν: to bring in | |
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Giustino de Jacobis (Roman Catholic),Nine Saints • Armenian Apostolic liturgical calendar,Coptic calendar,Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar • | ||
