Fasting Calendar 2026–2030 — Ethiopian Orthodox & Islamic Fasts

Every major fasting period observed in Ethiopia across five years — the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's seasonal fasts and the Islamic Hijri fasts — with native-script names, Gregorian date ranges, durations, and plain-English descriptions.

Ethiopian Orthodox Fasts

Fast of Nineveh (ጾም ነነዌ) — 3 days in February. Commemorates the repentance of Nineveh after the warning of Jonah; observed with a strict vegan diet and one meal per day.
Great Lent / Abiy Tsom (ዐቢይ ጾም) — 55 days, February to April. The longest and most important Orthodox fast, leading to Fasika (Easter); strict vegan diet throughout.
Holy Week / Himamat (ሕማማት) — 7 days, April. The final, most solemn week of Great Lent, reliving Christ's passion from Palm Sunday to Easter Saturday.
Apostles' Fast / Tsome Hawariat (ጾም ሐዋርያት) — 8 to 32 days, May to June. A variable fast honoring Saints Peter and Paul, ending on June 28; length depends on Easter's date.
Fast of the Assumption / Filseta (ጾም ፍልሰታ) — 16 days, August 7 to 22. A fixed fast in honor of the Virgin Mary, observed every year on the same dates.
Advent / Fast of the Prophets / Tsome Gahdi (ጾም ገሃድ) — 43 days, November 25 to January 6. Prepares the faithful for Ganna (Ethiopian Christmas, January 7).

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church fasts follow the fixed Ethiopian (Ge'ez) calendar for some periods and are calculated relative to Fasika (Easter) for others. Dates are calculated from each year's Orthodox Easter date and may shift by a day around leap years. Devout Orthodox Christians also fast every Wednesday and Friday throughout the year.

Islamic Fasts

Ramadan (رَمَضَان) — 29 or 30 days. The holy month of fasting from dawn to sunset; obligatory for all healthy adult Muslims. Shifts about 11 days earlier each Gregorian year.
Day of Arafah (يَوْم عَرَفَة) — 1 day, the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah. The holiest day of the Islamic year; a recommended voluntary fast, the day before Eid al-Adha.
Day of Ashura (عَاشُورَاء) — 1 day, the 10th of Muharram. Commemorates God saving Musa (Moses) from Pharaoh; a recommended voluntary fast.
Six Days of Shawwal (سِتّ شَوَّال) — 6 days, flexible. A recommended voluntary fast following Ramadan, observed on any six days within Shawwal.

Islamic dates follow the lunar Hijri calendar. Figures use the Umm al-Qura (Saudi Arabia) tabular calendar as an estimate — actual start dates depend on local moon sighting and can shift by a day depending on country or community. Many Muslims also observe a recommended voluntary fast on Mondays and Thursdays.