Coptic date today and a two-way Coptic calendar converter
This Coptic calendar converter turns a Gregorian date into the Coptic date and back again, shows the Coptic date today, and lists the Coptic Orthodox feasts and fasts of the year. The Coptic calendar counts years from the Era of the Martyrs (Anno Martyrum, A.M.), which begins in 284 AD, the first year of Emperor Diocletian; 11 September 2026 begins the year 1743 A.M.
The year has twelve months of 30 days and a short thirteenth month of five or six days. Month names are shown in their Coptic form (Thout, Paopi, Hathor …) and in the Arabic transliteration used in Egypt (Tut, Baba, Hatur …). For the closely related Ethiopian calendar, see the Ethiopian calendar converter.
How to use the Coptic Calendar Converter
- Pick a Gregorian date, or press Today, to see the Coptic date.
- Or enter a Coptic day, month and year to find the Gregorian date.
- Read the year in A.M., the Ethiopian year and whether the year is a leap year.
- Scroll the feast and fast list for the Gregorian year of the date shown.
- Press Copy to paste both dates.
Coptic Calendar Converter features
Both directions
Gregorian to Coptic and Coptic to Gregorian, for Coptic years 1600 to 1900.
Feasts and fasts
Nativity, Theophany, Annunciation, Easter, Pentecost, Nayrouz, the Feasts of the Cross, the Fast of Nineveh, Great Lent, the Apostles’ Fast, the Fast of the Virgin and the Nativity Fast.
Checked dates
The arithmetic is tested against your browser’s own Coptic calendar, and the feasts against the published Coptic church calendar.
Two spellings
Coptic month names with their Arabic equivalents.
How the Coptic calendar works
The Coptic calendar continues the ancient Egyptian civil calendar, reformed with a leap day every four years. Its new year, Nayrouz (1 Thout), falls on 11 September, or 12 September in the year before a Gregorian leap year, when the preceding Pi Kogi Enavot has six days. Because the leap rule is the Julian one, the Coptic and Gregorian calendars drift apart by about three days every four centuries.
Coptic year = Gregorian year − 283 from Nayrouz to 31 December, and − 284 from 1 January to Nayrouz. The Ethiopian year is always 276 more than the Coptic year, and the two calendars share the same months under different names.
| Coptic month | Arabic | Begins (common year) |
|---|---|---|
| Thout | Tut | 11 Sep |
| Paopi | Baba | 11 Oct |
| Hathor | Hatur | 10 Nov |
| Koiak | Kiyahk | 10 Dec |
| Tobi | Tuba | 9 Jan |
| Meshir | Amshir | 8 Feb |
| Paremhat | Baramhat | 10 Mar |
| Parmouti | Baramuda | 9 Apr |
| Pashons | Bashans | 9 May |
| Paoni | Ba’una | 8 Jun |
| Epip | Abib | 8 Jul |
| Mesori | Misra | 7 Aug |
| Pi Kogi Enavot | Nasi | 6 Sep |
Feasts and fasts
Fixed feasts keep their Coptic date: Nativity on 29 Koiak (7 January — kept on 28 Koiak in years that begin on 12 September), Theophany on 11 Tobi, the Annunciation on 29 Paremhat, the Entrance into Egypt on 24 Pashons and the Feast of the Apostles on 5 Epip. Easter follows the Julian computus shared with the Eastern Orthodox churches (see the Easter date calculator), and with it the Fast of Nineveh two weeks before Great Lent, the 55 days of Great Lent including Holy Week, the Ascension and Pentecost.
Coptic Calendar Converter FAQ
What year is it in the Coptic calendar?
From 11 September 2026 it is 1743 A.M.; before that, from 11 September 2025, it was 1742.
What is the Coptic date today?
Press Today; the large box shows today’s Coptic date with the Arabic month name.
When is Coptic Christmas?
On 7 January (29 Koiak), the same day as Christmas in the other Orthodox churches that use the Julian calendar.
When is Coptic Easter 2026?
Sunday 12 April 2026, with Great Lent from 16 February and the Fast of Nineveh from 2 to 4 February.
Why is it called the Era of the Martyrs?
The Coptic Church counts its years from 284 AD, when Diocletian became emperor, in memory of the many Christians martyred in Egypt during his persecution. Nayrouz, the first day of the year, is also kept as the Feast of the Martyrs.
Does the converter work for old dates?
Yes, for Coptic years 1600 to 1900 (1883–2184 AD). Gregorian dates are proleptic, so very old documents written in the Julian calendar need converting first.
How is the Coptic calendar related to the Ethiopian one?
They have the same months and leap rule; the Ethiopian year number is 276 higher and the months have Ge’ez names.