The Coptic calendar is the liturgical calendar of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, descended from the ancient Egyptian calendar. Like the Ethiopian calendar it has 13 months — 12 months of 30 days plus a short month of 5 or 6 days — and shares the same epoch, the Era of the Martyrs (Anno Martyrum), counted from 284 CE. The current year is 1742 AM; year 1743 AM begins on Nayrouz (Coptic New Year), 11 September 2026.
The Coptic year has 12 months of exactly 30 days each, plus a short 13th month called Nasie (the "little month") with 5 days, or 6 in a leap year — totalling 365 or 366 days.
The 12 main months are: Thout, Paopi, Hathor, Koiak, Tobi, Meshir, Paremhat, Paremoude, Pashons, Paoni, Epip, and Mesori — followed by Nasie.
The calendar shares its 13-month structure and its epoch with the Ethiopian calendar, though the two use different month names.
The Coptic calendar descends from the ancient Egyptian civil calendar — one of the oldest known calendars — reformed with a leap day to keep it aligned with the seasons.
Its era, Anno Martyrum ("Year of the Martyrs"), is counted from 284 CE, the start of the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian, remembered for the persecution of Christians.
New Year (Nayrouz) falls on 11 September (or 12 September in the year before a Gregorian leap year). Coptic Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on 7 January.