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{{short description|Egyptian liturgical calendar}}
{{short description|Egyptian liturgical calendar}}
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The '''Coptic calendar''', also called the '''Alexandrian calendar''', is a [[Liturgical year|liturgical calendar]] used by the [[fellah|farming populace]] in Egypt and used by the [[Coptic Orthodox]] and [[Coptic Catholic]] churches. It was used for fiscal purposes in Egypt until the [[adoption of the Gregorian calendar]] on 11 September 1875 (1st Thout 1592 [[Era of Martyrs|AM]]).<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4llHAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA1348 |title=United States Congressional Serial Set |volume=1673 |publisher=Government Printing Office |location=Washington |year=1876 |page=1348 |access-date=2022-06-12 |archive-date=2022-06-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220612052537/https://books.google.com/books?id=4llHAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA1348 |url-status=live}}</ref> This calendar is based on the ancient [[Egyptian calendar]]. To avoid the calendar creep of the latter (which contained only 365 days each year, year after year, so that the date relative to the seasons shifted about one day every four years), a reform of the ancient Egyptian calendar was introduced at the time of [[Ptolemy III Euergetes|Ptolemy III]] ([[Decree of Canopus]], in 238 BC) which consisted of [[Intercalation (timekeeping)|adding an extra day every fourth year]]. However, this reform was opposed by the Egyptian priests, and the reform was not adopted until 25 BC, when the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] Emperor [[Augustus]] imposed the Decree upon [[Egypt]] as its official calendar.<ref name = Nabil>{{cite book |last=Nabil |first=Michael |title=A Brief History of Patriarchs Coptic Church |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing |page=7 }}</ref>{{better source|reson=Probably a [[WP:SELF|self-published source of questionable reliablility]]|date=July 2025}} {{efn|although initially, namely between 25 BC and AD 5, it was unsynchronised with the original implementation of the [[Julian calendar]] which was erroneously intercalating leap days every third rather than fourth year}}
The '''Coptic calendar''', also called the '''Alexandrian calendar''', is a [[Liturgical year|liturgical calendar]] used by the [[fellah|farming populace]] in Egypt and used by the [[Coptic Orthodox]] and [[Coptic Catholic]] churches. It was used for fiscal purposes in Egypt until the [[adoption of the Gregorian calendar]] on 11 September 1875 (1st Thout 1592 [[Era of Martyrs|AM]]).<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4llHAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA1348 |title=United States Congressional Serial Set |volume=1673 |publisher=Government Printing Office |location=Washington |year=1876 |page=1348 |access-date=2022-06-12 |archive-date=2022-06-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220612052537/https://books.google.com/books?id=4llHAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA1348 |url-status=live}}</ref> This calendar is based on the ancient [[Egyptian calendar]]. To avoid the calendar creep of the latter (which contained only 365 days each year, year after year, so that the date relative to the seasons shifted about one day every four years), a reform of the ancient Egyptian calendar was introduced at the time of [[Ptolemy III Euergetes|Ptolemy III]] ([[Decree of Canopus]], in 238 BC) which consisted of [[Intercalation (timekeeping)|adding an extra day every fourth year]]. However, this reform was opposed by the Egyptian priests, and the reform was not adopted until 25 BC, when the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] Emperor [[Augustus]] imposed the Decree upon [[Egypt]] as its official calendar.<ref name = Nabil>{{cite book |last=Nabil |first=Michael |title=A Brief History of Patriarchs Coptic Church |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing |page=7 }}</ref>{{better source|reson=Probably a [[WP:SELF|self-published source of questionable reliablility]]|date=July 2025}} {{efn|although initially, namely between 25 BC and AD 5, it was unsynchronised with the original implementation of the [[Julian calendar]] which was erroneously intercalating leap days every third rather than fourth year}}

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The Coptic calendar, also called the Alexandrian calendar, is a liturgical calendar used by the farming populace in Egypt and used by the Coptic Orthodox and Coptic Catholic churches. It was used for fiscal purposes in Egypt until the adoption of the Gregorian calendar on 11 September 1875 (1st Thout 1592 AM).[1] This calendar is based on the ancient Egyptian calendar. To avoid the calendar creep of the latter (which contained only 365 days each year, year after year, so that the date relative to the seasons shifted about one day every four years), a reform of the ancient Egyptian calendar was introduced at the time of Ptolemy III (Decree of Canopus, in 238 BC) which consisted of adding an extra day every fourth year. However, this reform was opposed by the Egyptian priests, and the reform was not adopted until 25 BC, when the Roman Emperor Augustus imposed the Decree upon Egypt as its official calendar.[2][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 its epoch (first day of first year) equates to 29 August 284 AD. The neighbouring Ethiopian 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.[3] 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.[3]

Coptic year

Liturgical seasons

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 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. Coptic years are counted from 284 AD,[3] the year Diocletian 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. (for Anno 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).

Easter

The date of Easter is determined the same way as is done by the Orthodox churches.[3]

Christmas

Main articles: Date of the birth of Jesus § Choice of 25 December, and Christmas § Date according to Julian calendar

In Coptic Christendom, the feast of Christmas is observed on 29 Koiak of the Coptic calendar (25 December (Julian),[c] 7 January Gregorian.[6]

Coptic 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. 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 توت Tūt Mäskäräm (መስከረም) 29 August – 27 September 11 September – 10 October Akhet (Inundation) ḏḥwty: Thoth, god of Wisdom and Science
2 Ⲡⲁⲟⲡⲓ Ⲡⲁⲱⲡⲉ Paopi بابه Bābah Ṭəqəmt(i) (ጥቅምት) 28 September – 27 October 11 October – 9 November pꜣ-n-jpt: Opet Festival
3 Ⲁⲑⲱⲣ Ϩⲁⲑⲱⲣ Hathor هاتور Hātūr 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 كياك Kyak 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 طوبه Ṭūbah Ṭərr(i) (ጥር) 27 December – 25 January 9 January – 7 February Proyet, Peret, Poret (Growth) tꜣ-ꜥꜣbt: "The offering"
6 Ⲙⲉϣⲓⲣ Ⲙϣⲓⲣ Meshir أمشير ʾAmshīr 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 برمهات Baramhāt Mägabit (መጋቢት) 25 February – 26 March 9 March – 8 April pꜣ-n-jmnḥtp: "Festival of Amenhotep"
8 Ⲫⲁⲣⲙⲟⲩⲑⲓ Ⲡⲁⲣⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ Parmouti برموده Baramūdah Miyazya (ሚያዝያ) 27 March – 25 April 9 April – 8 May pꜣ-n-Rnnwtt: "Festival of harvest goddess Renenutet"
9 Ⲡⲁϣⲟⲛⲥ Ⲡⲁϣⲟⲛⲥ Pashons بشنس Bashans Gənbo (t) (ግንቦት) 26 April – 25 May 9 May – 7 June Shomu or Shemu (Harvest) pꜣ-n-ḫnsw "Festival of Khonsu"
10 Ⲡⲁⲱⲛⲓ Ⲡⲁⲱⲛⲉ Paoni بأونه Baʾūnah Säne (ሰኔ) 26 May – 24 June 8 June – 7 July pꜣ-n-jnt: valley festival
11 Ⲉⲡⲓⲡ Ⲉⲡⲏⲡ Epip أبيب ʾAbīb Ḥamle (ሐምሌ) 25 June – 24 July 8 July – 6 August jpjp: meaning unknown
12 Ⲙⲉⲥⲱⲣⲓ Ⲙⲉⲥⲱⲣⲏ Mesori مسرا Mesra Nähase (ነሐሴ) 25 July – 23 August 7 August – 5 September mswt rꜥ: birth of Ra
13 Ⲡⲓⲕⲟⲩϫⲓ ⲛ̀ⲁ̀ⲃⲟⲧ Ⲉⲡⲁⲅⲟⲙⲉⲛⲁⲓ[10] Pi Kogi Enavot نسيئ Nasīʾ Ṗagʷəmen/Ṗagume (ጳጐሜን/ጳጉሜ) 24 August – 28 August 6 September – 10 September Bohairic: The Little Month;

Sahidic: Greek ἐπαγόμεναι < ἐπαγωγή < ἐπαγειν < ἐπι + ἄγειν: to bring in

Further reading

  • Chaîne, Marius (1925). La chronologie des temps chrétiens de l’Égypte et de l’Éthiopie. Paris: P. Geuthner.
  • Wissa-Wassef, Cérès (1971). Pratiques rituelles et alimentaires des Coptes. Cairo: Institut français d'archéologie orientale du Caire. chapters II & V

See also

Notes

  1. ^ although initially, namely between 25 BC and AD 5, it was unsynchronised with the original implementation of the Julian calendar which was erroneously intercalating leap days every third rather than fourth year
  2. ^ The abbreviation A.M. is also used for unrelated calendar eras (such as the Freemasonic and Jewish calendar epochs) which start at the putative creation of the world; it then stands for Anno Mundi.
  3. ^ which is also when Christmas is observed in many Eastern Orthodox countries such as Russia

References

  1. ^ United States Congressional Serial Set. Vol. 1673. Washington: Government Printing Office. 1876. p. 1348. Archived from the original on 2022-06-12. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  2. ^ Nabil, Michael. A Brief History of Patriarchs Coptic Church. CreateSpace Independent Publishing. p. 7.
  3. ^ a b c d Dershowitz, Nachum; Reingold, Edward M. (2008). Calendrical Calculations (Third ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 73–75. ISBN 9780521885409. OCLC 144768713.
  4. ^ Naguib, Saphinaz-Amal (2008). "Survivals of Pharaonic Religious Practices in Contemporary Coptic Christianity". UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  5. ^ a b Fr Tadros Y Malaty (1988). The Coptic Calendar and Church of Alexandria (Report). The Monastery of St. Macarius Press, The Desert of Scete. Archived from the original on 13 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  6. ^ Fr. John Ramzy. "The Glorious Feast of Nativity: 7 January? 29 Kiahk? 25 December?". Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Archived from the original on 2002-06-20. 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).
  7. ^ Černý, Jaroslav (1976). Coptic Etymological Dictionary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-07228-1.
  8. ^ Vycichl, Werner (1983). Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue Copte. Leuven: Peeters. ISBN 978-2-8017-0197-3.
  9. ^ Hinds, Martin; Badawi, El-Said (1986). A Dictionary of Egyptian Arabic: Arabic-English. Beirut: Librairie du Liban. ISBN 978-0-8288-0434-9.
  10. ^ Crum, W.E. (1939). A Coptic Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 54.
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