The distinctive liturgical 12 months noticed by followers of this historical Christian custom employs a definite system for calculating dates and observing holy days. Based mostly on the Coptic calendar, it consists of 13 months 12 months of 30 days every, plus a brief 5- or 6-day month (Pagume) relying on whether or not the 12 months is a intercalary year. This ends in a calendar roughly seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar generally used within the West. Key spiritual observances embody Meskel (the discovering of the True Cross), Ganna (Christmas), and Timkat (Epiphany), every celebrated with vibrant and deeply rooted traditions.
This distinct timekeeping system performs a significant function in sustaining cultural and non secular id, connecting up to date adherents with the traditions of their ancestors. It governs the rhythm of spiritual life, dictating fasting durations, feast days, and the cycle of scriptural readings all year long. Sustaining this separate calendar reinforces the church’s distinctive theological and historic id inside the broader Christian world. Its continued use acts as a strong image of continuity and resistance to exterior influences.
