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Christmas and the calendar

GoochGooch
edited February 2008 in Coptic Orthodox Church
Hello everyone,

I'm Ethiopian Orthodox.

I'm reading up on calendar issues on the Orthodox Church, and I'm having a hard time getting a definitive answer on exactly why we (Coptic and Ethiopian) celebrate Christmas on 28 Koiak (Tahesas in Amharic-Ethiopia) following a leap year, rather than the usual 29 Koiak. Why don't we always stick to 29 Koiak, even though after a leap year, it would be equivalent to January 8 Gregorian Calendar instead of the usual January 7? Note, I'm not asking about Julian and Coptic vs. Gregorian, but specifically about why we change the date of Christmas according to our calendar every four years.

I've heard the following reasons:

1. To celebrate on the same day as other old calendarists, which is always January 7.
2. Because the official holiday in Egypt is January 7 and doesn't change to January 8 every four years.

What's the official reason according to the Synod? Anyone have references?

Thanks very much.

Comments

  • clayclay
    interesting
  • Unknown
    This is just a guess, but I would suppose it is because the councils in which these dates were agreed calculated them according to the official calendar of the Roman/Byzantine Empire - the Julian calendar - and that while each local church might use different methods of calculating time, the dates for these feasts are to correspond with the dates of the Julian calendar.
  • john_paul_elia
    It is all has to do with Georgian/Julian/Coptic calendars. If you go further down, you will find my topic "Christmas Date and Coptic Calendar". Just go through all posts and you will know why there is a difference and the Christmas will be 8 January from the year 2100 and then 9 January from the year 2200 and 10 January from the year 2300, and 11 January from the year 2500, etc

    Now, back to your question of 8 January and why it is fluctuating between 28 and 29 Kiahk. The answer is quite easy. The day of the Georgian Calendar leap year is always taken as 29 February, while in the Coptic calendar the day is added to the small month (6 days instead of 5 days) at the end of the coptic year on 11 September. Because both days are not the same, the difference will occur every 4 years.
    If you are not clear enough, I will explain further in the next couple of days with mathematical examples.
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