Ettu Nombu

8 Day Lent
Icon of the Virgin Mary.
Also called	Ettu Nombu
Begins	1 September
Ends	8 September
Frequency	Annual

Ettu Nombu (Malayalam: എട്ടു നോമ്പ്) or the Eight Day Lent of St Mary, is a solemn remembrance of virgin-mother of Jesus Christ, for the St Thomas Christians in Kerala, India.

The custom is observed in the Oriental Orthodox (Jacobite and Indian Orthodox) and Eastern Catholic (Syro-Malabar and Syro Malankara Catholic) churches in Kerala. Believers participate in fasting and praying for the eight days. During this time churches celebrate the feast in remembrance of the birth of St Mary (Nativity of Mary)^[1] and the eight days of lent is rigorously observed from the 1st day to 8th day of September with charitable activities, evangelical conventions and special prayers to honor St Mary. For Syrian Catholics, praying the rosary in groups is an important custom during these days. The eight days of lent is not a canonical one for the Church but is observed by the Syrian Christians of India and also of the Near Eastern countries.