Coptic Egyptian citizens started the Nativity Fasting today according to the Coptic Orthodox Church s ritual. Fasting people abstain from food for a period of time and then they eat only vegetarian foods, and they can eat fish since this is a second degree fasting.
They fast for 43 days 40 of them to commemorate the fasting of Moses the Prophet and 3 to remember the miracle of moving the Mokattam Mount. The fasting include the month of Koiak, which is dedicated to celebrate the Virgin Mary by special prayers, rituals, melodies and beautiful praises called « seven and four ».
I do not think that there are people in the world related to fasting like the Egyptian people, and believe or not that the Egyptians Muslims and Christians fasting « 467 » Days each year.
Muslims, in addition to fasting the holy month of Ramadan, fast: three days in the month of Sha baan, and Arafat s pause increases optionally to ten days, and in the six days of white, and two days in the month of Rajab, in addition A total of 104 days are optional, which is every Monday and Thursday, bringing the total between 147 days and optionally increasing to 201 days.
The Copts fast 55 days of the Great Lent, three days of Jonah, 43 days of fasting, 40 days of fasting of the Apostles, and 15 days of fasting of the Virgin. In addition to Wednesdays and Fridays, the number of days to «256» days can optionally increase to «266» days. If we add the total fasting of Egyptians Muslims and Christians, they will reach 406 days, and can optionally increase to 467 days.
Why the Egyptian people fast these days? Is it a love for God and His messengers, or fear of punishment? Or is it related to the severity of the injustices experienced by this people over the different ages. Muslim are Sunnies in Egypt, but they fast Ashura and celebrate the family of Prophet. Fasting in Christianity is not a holy secret, but it amounts to one.
History also states that the victories of the Egyptians were always occurring during the fast of Ramadan, such as the battle of Ain Jalut and the victory over the Tatars, the battle of Hattin and the victory over the Crusaders and the restoration of Jerusalem until the victory of the tenth of Ramadan and the defeat of the Zionist enemy.
Thus, spirituality, asceticism and mysticism are deeply rooted in the hearts of the Egyptians who celebrate more than a hundred births and celebration of saints. This spiritual identity of our great people goes beyond all understanding and take root in imagination and grow from generation to generation.
