Happy Coptic New Year!
Today marks the first day of the Coptic calendar, so Happy Coptic New Year (1724 A.M)! Here’s just a little bit of background:
The earliest form of the Coptic calendar, the oldest in history, originated three millennia before Christ. The exact date of its origin is unknown. It is believed that Imhotep, the supreme official of King Djoser C.2670 BC. had a great impact on the construction of the calendar. It is an extension of the ancient Egyptian civil year, retaining its subdivision into the three seasons, four months each. This calendar is still in use all over Egypt by farmers to keep track of the various agricultural seasons.
The Coptic calendar has 13 months, 12 of 30 days each and an intercalary month (called the “Little Month”) at the end of the year of 5 or 6 days, depending whether the year is a leap year or not. The Feast of Nayrouz (The Feast of the Martyrs) marks the first day of the Coptic year. Its celebration falls on the 1st day of the month of Thout, the first month of the Coptic year, which for AD 1901 to 2098 usually coincides with 11 September, except before a Gregorian leap year when it’s September 12.
Coptic years are counted from AD 284, the year Diocletian became Roman Emperor, whose reign was marked by tortures and mass executions of Christians, especially in Egypt. Hence, the Coptic year is identified by the abbreviation A.M. (for Anno Martyrum or “Year of the Martyrs”).
In addition to today being the first day of the Coptic New Year, it is also the day of the September 11 WTC terrorist attacks in New York.
And to celebrate, I bought myself a new Wireless N Router – the Apple Airport Extreme Base Station. I have been spending waaay too much money lately 😦
Methre 