What is the Coptic calendar?
The Coptic calendar is an ancient Egyptian solar calendar. The Coptic Church uses it for its feasts, and it is still used in rural Egypt for farming seasons. Its years count from 284 AD, the Era of the Martyrs, which is why years are written with AM (Anno Martyrum).
The Coptic months
| No. | Month | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thout | 30 |
| 2 | Paopi | 30 |
| 3 | Hathor | 30 |
| 4 | Koiak | 30 |
| 5 | Tobi | 30 |
| 6 | Meshir | 30 |
| 7 | Paremhat | 30 |
| 8 | Parmouti | 30 |
| 9 | Pashons | 30 |
| 10 | Paoni | 30 |
| 11 | Epip | 30 |
| 12 | Mesori | 30 |
| 13 | Nasie | 5 or 6 |
Because the months have fixed lengths, each Coptic month starts on almost the same Gregorian date every year; Tobi usually starts on 9 January. The table at the top shows the exact dates for the current year.
Leap years
A Coptic year is a leap year when the remainder of the year divided by 4 is 3; Nasie then has 6 days. A Coptic leap year ends in September of the Gregorian year before a Gregorian leap year: 1743 AM is a leap year and ends in September 2027, and 2028 is a leap year. The next Coptic New Year therefore falls on 12 September instead of 11.
Coptic and Gregorian years
The Coptic year is 283 years behind the Gregorian year from the Coptic New Year in September to the end of December, and 284 years behind from January to the next Coptic New Year.
To convert between Hijri and Gregorian dates, use the Date Converter; for today’s Hijri and Gregorian date see Today’s Date.
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