Ethiopian Orthodox Fasting Calendar 2026 (2018–2019 EC)
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church observes one of the richest fasting traditions in Christianity — around 180 obligatory fasting days a year for all believers, and up to 250 for clergy. Here are the exact dates of the major fasts in 2026, calculated with the Church's own Bahire Hasab reckoning.
Major fasting periods in 2026
| Fast | Begins | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Fast of Nineveh (ጾመ ነነዌ) | February 2, 2026 | February 4, 2026 |
| Great Lent / Abiy Tsom (ዐቢይ ጾም) | February 16, 2026 | April 11, 2026 |
| Fast of the Apostles (ጾመ ሐዋርያት) | June 1, 2026 | July 11, 2026 |
| Fast of the Assumption / Filseta (ጾመ ፍልሰታ) | August 7, 2026 | August 21, 2026 |
| Fast of the Prophets / Advent (ጾመ ነቢያት) | November 24, 2026 | January 6, 2027 |
Weekly fasting: every Wednesday and Friday
Outside the great fasts, every Wednesday and Friday is a fasting day (Tsome Dihnet). The only exceptions are the fifty days of joy between Fasika (Easter, April 12, 2026) and Paraclete (Pentecost, May 31, 2026), and the feasts of Gena and Timket when they fall on a Wednesday or Friday.
Major feasts in 2026
| Feast | Date (Gregorian) | Date (Ethiopian) |
|---|---|---|
| Timket (Epiphany) | January 19, 2026 | Tir 11, 2018 |
| Fasika (Easter) | April 12, 2026 | Miyazya 4, 2018 |
| Filseta (Assumption) | August 22, 2026 | Nehase 16, 2018 |
| Enkutatash (New Year, EC 2019 begins) | September 11, 2026 | Meskerem 1, 2019 |
| Meskel | September 27, 2026 | Meskerem 17, 2019 |
| Gena (Christmas) | January 7, 2027 | Tahsas 29, 2019 |
Want to know instantly whether today is a fasting day? The free Senbete calendar shows today's status in Amharic or English — and it works even without an internet connection.