Meshir

Meshir (Coptic: Ⲙⲉϣⲓⲣ), also known as Mechir (Greek: Μεχίρ, Mekhír) and Amshir^[1] (Egyptian Arabic: أمشير [ʔæmˈʃiːɾ]), is the sixth month of the ancient Egyptian and Coptic calendars. It lies between February 8 and March 9 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Meshir is also the second month of the Season of Proyet (Growth and Emergence) in ancient Egypt, when the Nile floods recede and the crops start to grow throughout the land of Egypt.

Name

The name of the month of Meshir comes from Mechir, the Ancient Egyptian God genius of wind ^{[citation needed]}.

Coptic Synaxarium of the month of Meshir

Coptic	Julian	Gregorian	Commemorations
Meshir 1	January 26	February 8	Commemoration of the Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople, in 381. Commemoration of the Consecration of the Church of St. Peter, the Seal of Martyrs.
2	27	9	Departure of St. Paul, the First Hermit. Departure of St. Longinus, Abbot of El-Zugag Monastery.
3	28	10	Departure of St. James, the Ascetic.
4	29	11	Martyrdom of St. Agabus, one of the Seventy Disciples.
5	30	12	Departure of St. Agrippinus, the 10th Pope of Alexandria. Commemoration of the Sts. Anba Bishay and St. Anba Abanoub. Departure of St. Apollo, friend of St. Anba Abib. Commemoration of the Relocation of the Relics of the Forty-Nine Elders of the Wilderness of Scetis.
6	31	13	Appearance of the Body of St. Hippolytus of Rome. Martyrdom of the Sts. Abakir, John, the Three Virgins and their Mother.
7	February 1	14	Departure of St. Alexander II, the 43rd Pope of Alexandria. Departure of St. Theodoros I, the 45th Pope of Alexandria.
8	2	15	Feast of Presenting the Lord Christ in the Temple. Martyrdom of the Twenty-One Men in Libya. Commemoration of all contemporary Martyrs.
9	3	16	Departure of St. Barsauma, the Father of the Syrian Monks Martyrdom of St. Paul the Syrian
10	4	17	Martyrdom of St. James the Apostle, Son of Alphaeus. Martyrdom of St. Justus, Son of Roman Emperor Numerian. Departure of St. Isidore of Pelusium. Martyrdom of St. Philo, Bishop of the Persians.
11	5	18	Martyrdom of St. Fabian (Fabrianus), Bishop of Rome.
12	6	19	Commemoration of Michael, the Archangel. Departure of St. Gelasius.
13	7	20	Martyrdom of St. Sergius of Atripe, His Father, Mother, Sister, and Many Others with Them. Departure of St. Timothy III, the 32nd Pope of Alexandria.
14	8	21	Departure of St. Severus, Patriarch of Antioch. Departure of St. James (Yacobus), the 50th Pope of Alexandria.
15	9	22	Departure of St. Zechariah, the Prophet. Consecration of the First Church Dedicated for the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. Departure of Saint Paphnoute (Paphnotius).
16	10	23	Departure of St. Elizabeth, the mother of St. John the Baptist.
17	11	24	Martyrdom of St. Mina, the Monk.
18	12	25	Departure of St. Malatius the Confessor, Patriarch of Antioch.
19	13	26	Commemoration of the Relocation of the Relics of St. Martianus, the Monk.
20	14	27	Departure of St. Peter, the 21st Pope of Alexandria. Commemoration of Sts. Basil, Theodore and Timothy, the Martyrs.
21	15	28	Commemoration of the Holy Virgin Saint Mary, the Mother of God (Theotokos) Martyrdom of St. Onesimus, the Disciple of St. Paul. Departure of St. Gabriel, the 57th Pope of Alexandria. Departure of St. Zacharias, Bishop of Sakha.
22	16	March 1	Departure of St. Maruta (Maruthas), the Bishop of Marjferqat.
23	17	2	Martyrdom of St. Eusebius, Son of Basilides, the Minister.
24	18	3	Departure of St. Agapetus (Agapius), the Bishop. Martyrdom of St. Timothy and St. Matthias.
25	19	4	Martyrdom of Sts. Archippus, Philemon and Lycia the Virgin. Martyrdom of St. Quona (Kona) and St. Mina. Commemoration of St. Fana, the Hermit.
26	20	5	Departure of Hosea, the Prophet. Martyrdom of St. Zadok and the 128 who were with Him.
27	21	6	Departure of St. Eustathius, Patriarch of Antioch.
28	22	7	Martyrdom of St. Theodore, the Roman.
29	23	8	Martyrdom of St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna.
30	24	9	Appearance of the Head of St. John the Baptist. Departure of St. Cyril VI (Kyrillos), the 116th Pope of Alexandria.

References

Citations

1. Gabra, Gawdat (2008), "Coptic Calendar", The A to Z of the Coptic Church, A to Z Guide Series, No. 107, Plymouth: The Scarecrow Press, pp. 70–1, ISBN 9780810870574.

Bibliography

• Synaxarium of the month of Amshir