Egyptian Christmas is even celebrated twice! Despite the predominance of the Muslim population

Egypt is an ideal place for a Christmas holiday.

Pleasant weather, Christmas trees, and decorated shop windows await you here.

What are the typical dishes that must not be missing from the Christmas table?

Do Egyptian children get gifts or not?

Learn how Christmas is celebrated in Egypt and differs from Christmas in the Western world and from Ramadan.

When is Christmas celebrated in Egypt?

The majority of the population calls for Islam, yet this does not mean that Christmas is not celebrated in Egypt. More than 10 million Christians live in Egypt, making up approximately 10% of the country’s population.

Out of the total number of Christians, over 90% are Orthodox Coptic Christians who celebrate Christmas on January 7. Therefore, this important day in Egypt is also a public holiday. Other Christian minorities in the country traditionally celebrate Christmas on December 25.

What makes Egyptian Christmas even more special are the stories of the Holy Family’s journey with baby Jesus. The Holy Family spent about four years of their lives in Egypt, beginning in Sinai, which borders Gaza, and ending in Assiut.

Arabic is mainly spoken in Egypt; Merry Christmas is called Eid Milad Majid (عيد ميلاد مجيد) in Arabic.

Do you know Egyptian Christmas traditions?

Egyptian Christmas is associated with several traditions that differ slightly from our “Western” Christmas. The most significant difference between Coptic and Western Christmas is the act of fasting. Coptic Christians observe a strict fast from November 25 to January 6, during which they do not consume animal products.

Most Christian Egyptians gather as a family after a long fast to celebrate and feast together, which includes food and music. However, this is not a typical Christmas celebration like you might see in Europe or America.

Church services are one of the most essential parts of the Christian Christmas in Egypt. While many Christians attend midnight mass on Christmas Day (December 24), Coptic Christians also attend a unique night service on January 6. The service usually starts around 10 pm and lasts until midnight, sometimes until dawn.

For Coptic Christians, the month leading up to Christmas is known as kiakh and is marked by special practices, such as hymns sung in churches on Saturday evenings and masses held around five a.m. on Sundays.

Before Christmas, churches and houses of Christians are decorated with trees, lights, and small cribs.

Who brings the children’s presents?

Egyptian Christmas is also associated with giving gifts but in a somewhat different form. Some Christians in Egypt give each other gifts on Christmas Eve, which they place under the tree.

Children believe they are brought to them by Baba Noël, or Father Christmas, who enters houses through a window and leaves gifts for the children in exchange for the traditional Kahk el Eid cookies.

On Christmas Day, January 6, Coptic Christians give money to children and younger family members instead of Gifts. This popular tradition is also observed on most other Egyptian holidays.

A day later, on January 7, friends and family gather to celebrate, and people usually give each other cookies called kahk as gifts, which are also eaten by Muslims when they commemorate the Íd el Fit holiday after Ramadan. How are these traditional Egyptian cookies prepared?

What is eaten in Egypt at Christmas?

The Coptic Christmas Eve dinner is similar to the Western Christmas Eve dinner but includes some traditional Egyptian dishes. The main dish is usually the Christmas turkey, surrounded by fragrant side dishes.

In addition to it, Fattah, a dish containing bread, garlic, rice, boiled lamb, and warm enable or stuffed vine leaves, is also served.

We don’t usually associate pasta with Christmas; however, for Egyptians, macarona bechamel is a traditional Christmas Eve dish. It is baked penne pasta with minced meat and béchamel sauce. It is a staple in almost every Egyptian household.

For every Christian in Egypt, Christmas morning usually means a cup of tea with kahk biscuits. Today, many people also give zalabya (doughnuts) and bouri (parm fish) to the poor.

What places to visit in Egypt at Christmas?

Egypt is a popular tourist destination even in the winter months. The sea here is still pleasantly warm for swimming, and if you decide to spend the Christmas holidays, you can enjoy the sights much more, thanks to the milder weather. During the Christmas holidays, the temperature is around 23-25 °C.

• Cairo – the Egyptian metropolis offers not only world-famous monuments, such as the pyramids of Giza, Saladin’s Citadel, or Tutankhamun’s death mask. Large shopping centers are richly decorated at Christmas, and the Khan el-Khalilí bazaar invites you to find original gifts.

• Luxor: You will appreciate the pleasant December temperatures when visiting the temples in Karnak or the Valley of the Kings.

• Hurghada, a popular tourist destination, invites you to a unique beach Christmas program that includes snorkeling and diving.