(As posted on the ooze in answer to deacon Raphael)


Actually about to blog on this, but will answer it here instead. Comparative fasting between Copts and EO. Fasting is one of those interesting "little differences" that Vincent of Pulp Fiction talks about in the first scene of that movie (the interesting cultural differences that makes Europe feel different then the US).So yes we got Fish Fasts, Nativity, the Apostles and one other one in Summer, Assumption of Mary maybe. But our Fasting by and large is much more simple than yours.


We got "Major Fasts", wednesday and Friday, The Great Lent, and the "Fast of Jonah" that we just had. Those are vegan. While the other ones are the fish ones. And of course you fast 9 hours before Divine Liturgy (if taking Communion). But that includes time sleeping for Sunday Service or early morning weekly service. That is assuming you go to bed before midnight, otherwise you should knock of snacking around midnight or earlier if going to an extra early service.But we don't have all those crazy, "you can have wine this day, and olive oil this other day" stuff. And olive oil and wine are not regulated. So one Lenten option I am strongly considering is pesto sauce made without cheese. And other Italian sauces made with olive oil, like those ones made with sun dried tomato, capers etc.


One drawback of Coptic fasting. We do more fasting then any other Apostolic era Church, from what I hear. So while we fast on most of the same days you do. We got some bonus days thrown in, because the bishops have added some prepretory fast days for Lent and Advent (Actually we fast 3 days before the advent fast), we also celebrate a fast/feast or two extra that you don't. Like the Fast of Jonah/ Nineveh. That may be the only "Bonus" one we observe that you don't. Besides fasting to commemorate "The Moving of El Mokotam" before the advent fast beginsAnd well the El Mokotam thing is interestingfrom Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_the_Tanner

"The Caliph Al-Muizz used to invite different religious leaders to debate in his presence. In one of those meetings in which Pope Abraam and a Jew named Yaqub (Jacob) Ibn Yusuf Ibn Killis were present, the Pope got the upper hand in the debate. Plotting to take revenge, Ibn Killis quoted the verse where the Lord, Jesus Christ, said in Matthew 17:20: "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move, nothing will be impossible for you" and demanded that the Pope proves that his religion is right by means of this.The Caliph saw in this a unique opportunity and asked Pope Abraam to move the Mokattam Mountain. If they proved unable to do so, it would be the proof that the religion of the Christians was wrong and the Caliph would be done away with them completely.And so, after three days of prayers and fasting by the Copts throughout Egypt, Pope Abraam was directed by the Holy Virgin Mary (in an apparition of her to him) to choose St. Simon to mediate for moving the Mokattam Mountain. On the set day, as the people, with St. Simon the Tanner among them, were saying Kyrie eleison (Lord have mercy), the mountain was thrusting up and down, and the sun could be seen from under it. After the miracle was performed in the presence of the Caliph, the Pope turned left and right looking for St. Simon the Tanner, but he had disappeared and no one could find him (a sign of the saint's great humility)."