Feasts and Worship
According to the webpage, Moses’ Law established seven major observances including the Sabbath, Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. These celebrations aimed to “revive the spirit of joy and gladness in the believers’ lives” and commemorate God’s covenant with His people.
When Christ was incarnated, He participated in these observances while redirecting focus from outward symbols to inner spiritual reality. The Coptic Church considers nearly every day as a feast, maintaining continuous celebration even amid suffering.
A Church of Joy
The Coptic Church is characterized by spiritual joy, particularly evident in its monastic traditions. Saint John Cassian described Egyptian monks as creating perpetual praise throughout the land. An abbot named Apollo exemplified this perspective, asking: “Why do we struggle with an unpleasant face?! Aren’t we the heirs of the eternal life?!”
The church balances fasting with celebration, with believers often fasting for extended periods like the 55-day Great Lent before major feasts. This practice emphasizes that “their joy is based on their communion with God and not on the matter of eating, drinking and new clothes.”
The Seven Major Feasts of the Lord
- **The Annunciation** (Baramhat 29, c. April 7)
- **The Nativity of Christ** (Kayhk 29, c. January 7)
- **The Epiphany/Baptism of Christ** (Tobah 11, c. January 19)
- **Palm Sunday** — The Sunday preceding Easter
- **Easter** — Preceded by Great Lent and celebrated for fifty days
- **Ascension** — The fortieth day after Easter
- **Pentecost** — Called “the birthday of the Christian Church”
The Seven Minor Feasts of the Lord
- The Circumcision of our Lord
- The Entrance of our Lord into the Temple
- The Escape of the Holy Family to Egypt
- The First Miracle at Cana
- The Transfiguration of Christ
- Maundy Thursday
- Thomas’s Sunday
The Monthly Feasts
The faithful celebrate commemorations of Christ’s major events on the 29th of each Coptic month, Saint Mary on the 21st, and Archangel Michael on the 12th.
The Weekly Feast
Every Sunday represents “a true Sabbath (rest), in which we find our rest in the resurrection of Christ.” Fasting requirements are lifted on Sundays even during Great Lent.
Feasts of the Saints
The church maintains nearly continuous celebrations honoring saints, with particular emphasis on:
The Feasts of St. Mary — Including her Annunciation, Nativity, Presentation into the Temple, Dormition, Assumption, and various apparitions. Mary is venerated as the “Theotokos,” or Mother of God.
The Apostles’ Feast (Abib 5, c. July 12) — Commemorating Saints Peter and Paul, preceded by a fasting period following Pentecost.
The Nayrouz Feast (1st of Tout, c. September 11) — Marking the Coptic New Year and honoring Christian martyrs. The word derives from Persian meaning “beginning of the year.” The celebration continues until the Feast of the Cross.
The Two Feasts of the Cross — The first on Tout 17 (c. September 27) commemorates the church built by Queen Helen, while the second on Barmahat 10 (c. March 19) marks the discovery of the Holy Cross in A.D. 326.