The Coptic Calendar: A History of Revisions

Abstract

The Coptic Church marks the celebration of its daily rituals and seasonal festivals using a unique calendar inherited from ancient Egypt and reformed in the Graeco-Roman period. Since the adjustment of the Coptic calendar to match the Julian calendar, the Coptic Church has resisted any changes to its ecclesiastical calendar, despite its inaccuracy compared to the Gregorian calendar used throughout the contemporary Western world. The fact that the Coptic calendar evolved since the first records of its use in ancient Egypt begs the question as to whether the Coptic Church would allow for an adjustment of the Coptic calendar to account for the accuracy of the Gregorian calendar, while at the same time maintaining its Coptic heritage. This article will trace the evolution of the Coptic calendar and argue for updating it by considering the changes in the Gregorian calendar.