Coptic calendar facts for kids
The Coptic calendar (also called the Alexandrian calendar) is a special way of keeping track of dates. It's used by the Coptic Church, mainly in Egypt. This calendar is very old and is based on the ancient Egyptian calendar that started way back in 238 BC. It helps the Coptic Church know when to celebrate important religious holidays and events.
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What is the Coptic Calendar?
The Coptic calendar is a solar calendar, which means it follows the sun's movement. It has 13 months. Twelve of these months have 30 days each. The last month, called Pi Kogi Enavot or the "small month," has 5 or 6 days.
How is it Different?
- Days in a year: Just like the calendar most of us use (the Gregorian calendar), the Coptic calendar has 365 days in a normal year.
- Leap years: Every four years, the Coptic calendar adds an extra day to the small month, making it 6 days long. This is similar to how a leap day is added in February in the Gregorian calendar. This keeps the calendar lined up with the seasons.
- New Year: The Coptic New Year, called Neyrouz, usually starts on September 11th in the Gregorian calendar. In a leap year, it starts on September 12th.
History of the Coptic Calendar
The Coptic calendar has a very long and interesting history, going back thousands of years to ancient Egypt.
Ancient Egyptian Roots
The original Egyptian calendar was one of the first calendars to have 365 days. It was created to help farmers know when the Nile River would flood, which was very important for their crops.
- The ancient Egyptians noticed that the star Sirius (which they called Sopdet) appeared in the sky just before the Nile floods. They used this to mark the start of their year.
- This calendar was very accurate for its time, but it didn't include leap years. This meant that over many years, the calendar slowly drifted away from the actual seasons.
The Alexandrian Calendar
To fix this drifting problem, a new version of the Egyptian calendar was introduced in 238 BC by King Ptolemy III Euergetes in a city called Canopus. This new calendar added an extra day every four years, making it much more accurate.
- This improved calendar became known as the "Alexandrian calendar" because it was developed in Alexandria, a famous city in Egypt.
- Later, when the Roman Empire took over Egypt, they adopted this improved calendar. It even influenced the creation of the Julian calendar, which was used in Europe for a very long time before the Gregorian calendar.
The Coptic Church Adopts It
When Christianity spread in Egypt, the Coptic Church continued to use this ancient calendar. They adapted it for their religious purposes.
- The names of the months in the Coptic calendar are still based on the ancient Egyptian names.
- The calendar helps the Coptic Church decide the dates for Lent, Easter, and other important Christian holidays.
Why is it Still Used Today?
Even though most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar, the Coptic calendar is still very important for the Coptic Orthodox Church.
- It helps preserve their ancient traditions and religious practices.
- It connects them to their long history, dating back to the time of the Pharaohs in ancient Egypt.
- It's a living link to one of the oldest civilizations in the world!
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Calendario copto para niños
