Egypt's Orthodox Church starts Great Lent, Monday, for 55 days

CAIRO – 11 March 2024: Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church begins Great Lent, Monday, March 11, for a period of 55 days.

The Church placed Great Lent among the first-class fasts during which it is forbidden to eat seafood, and only vegetarian foods are limited. The Church also organizes masses on a daily basis.

The Lent ends with Holy Week in the Church, which begins with Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednesday), climaxing with the commemoration of the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday and the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. Holy Week concludes with the Holy Saturday and finally celebrating Easter on Monday.

The begging of the Great Lent this year coincides with the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, as Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawki Allam announced that Monday, 11 March 2024, is the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan of the Hijri year 1445.

Dar Al-Iftaa sighted the Ramadan crescent moon, which means that, Sunday, is the last day of Shaaban month, the eighth month of the Islamic calendar.

Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and UAE, also announced Monday the starting date of the holy month.

On this occasion, Dar Al-Iftaa congratulated President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the Egyptian people as well as people in all Arab and Islamic countries.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is one of the five pillars of Islam where Muslims fast by refraining from eating or drinking throughout the morning hours (from dawn to sunset) of the 29-30 day month.