People from all over the world have been fascinated by ancient Egypt. Many travelers visit the Great Pyramids of Giza or the temples in Luxor to experience a period that seems long gone. If you're planning a trip to Egypt during the festive season, you might be wondering, "Does Egypt celebrate Christmas?"
The answer is yes, but with a unique twist! In Egypt, Christmas is celebrated twice, on both December 25th and January 7th, reflecting the diverse Christian denominations present in the country. Even though the country has a Muslim-majority population, Egypt comes together to celebrate this special Christian holiday.
Let's explore the traditions, customs, and unique aspects of Christmas celebrations in Egypt.
If you're planning to visit Egypt during Christmas, here's what you need to know:
- When Egyptians celebrate Christmas.
- Whether Christmas is a good time to visit Egypt.
- What to expect when visiting Egypt during Christmas.
- Specific Christmas activities in Egypt.
- Local Egyptian Christmas traditions.
Egypt's Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas
The Two Christmases: December 25th and January 7th
In some branches of the Christian church, like Orthodox Christians, Christmas is celebrated on December 25th and also January 7th. This is all thanks to different translations of calendars. Orthodox Christians use the older Julian Calendar which marks Christmas Day as January 7th.
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Whether you celebrate on December 25th or January 7th, Christmas remains the same at its core - a Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. However, in Egypt, there are few distinctions between their two Christmases.
The biggest difference between Coptic Christmas and Western Christmas is the act of fasting. Coptic Christians take part in ‘The Holy Nativity Fast’ where they must adhere to a strict vegan diet for 43 before Christmas (Advent) from November 25th to January 6th. This means they can’t consume any animal-based products like meat, eggs and milk.
After fasting for over a month, the Christmas feast is held on Christmas Eve.
Here is a table summarizing key differences and similarities between the two Christmas celebrations in Egypt:
| Aspect | December 25th | January 7th (Coptic Christmas) |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar | Gregorian | Julian |
| Denominations | Various Christian denominations | Coptic Orthodox Christians (primarily) |
| Fasting | Not typically associated with fasting | 43-day vegan fast leading up to Christmas |
| Church Service | Midnight Mass on December 24th | Late-night church service on January 6th |
| Gift-Giving | Common tradition | Money given to younger family members on Christmas Eve |
| National Holiday | Observed, but Coptic Christmas is more significant | Official national holiday in Egypt since 2002 |
The Coptic Christmas: January 7th
Egypt’s Christians, known as the Coptic community, are one of the oldest Christian traditions in the world. Copts are estimated to comprise 10% of Egypt’s population and, at 10 million, constitute the largest Christian community in the Middle East.
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The Orthodox Coptic Church of Alexandria celebrates Christmas on January 7, which is 29 Kiahk (the 29th of the Mary month) in the Coptic calendar. Still, Coptic Christmas traditions are distinctly different from other Christian denominations.
"Celebrating on the 7th feels exclusively Egyptian," says Cairo-based filmmaker Maggie Morgan.
The 43-day-long Nativity Fast requires a vegan diet that allows seafood, intended to show piety and self-control. It marks the Christmas period, accompanied by daily celebratory church services.
"The fasting is my favorite part about Christmas," says Shenouda Sawiris, an independent contractor and technician from Giza. "If you deprive yourself of something that you like, I think it's more meaningful," she says.
On January 6, Orthodox Copts break their fast after attending the 2.5-hour-long Midnight Mass, held in Arabic and the Coptic language.
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Coptic Christmas celebrations include a church service that continues until midnight, after which individuals share bread called “qurban” marked with 12 dots to symbolize the 12 apostles.
After the service, Copts share an “agape” feast to mark the completion of their fast.
Iftar, the dinner that breaks the fast, traditionally includes Beit Meza'lil, boiled eggs fried in butter. "Some people say it's a tradition dating back to the Pharaohs," says El Katsha.
Traditional Coptic Christmas Foods
The Coptic Christmas dinner is basically like the typical Western Christmas dinner, but with more traditional Egyptian dishes.
At a Coptic Christmas dinner, you’ll also likely find the beloved fatteh (an indulgent, rice, bread and meat dish) and wara’ einab (vine leaves). "We also eat Fattah, a traditional meal consisting of a layer of rice, toasted bread, boiled meat and a garlic vinegar sauce on top."
Morgan's family follows the tradition of baking petit four and kahk, small circular biscuits from Egypt also prepared for the Muslim Eid holidays. "We have ancient recipes from my grandmother, and the baking is a whole day [event]," she says. "One of the things I've always enjoyed is people sending each other biscuits.
On the Coptic Christmas Day (January 7th), friends and family gather in homes for the festivities, and people usually give out the sweet Kahk as gifts.
If you're looking specifically for Christmas food in Egypt, here are some dishes to look for. None of these dishes are eaten only at Christmas though, so you can try these year-round as well.
- Fatta: Fatta is a classic Egyptian dish and is made of a layer of toasted Egyptian bread, topped with Egyptian rice (made with brown butter vermicelli noodles - delicious!), beef or chicken, and topped with a garlic-vinegar tomato sauce.
- Koshari: This is a vegan dish, so Christians might not eat it at the fast-breaking feast itself, but it is a super popular dish during the 43 day fasting period.Koshari is made by mixing lentils, chickpeas, spaghetti, macaroni, and rice, adding a delicious tomato sauce, lemon juice, vinegar-garlic sauce, and then topping the entire concoction with fresh, fried onions.
- Kahk: They're a very soft, dry, sugary cookie (similar to Russian teacake cookies), and are served as sweets at tons of Egyptian holidays, like the Muslim holiday celebrating the birth of the prophet Muhammad, and the Christian holiday of Christmas.
Growing up, my mother would be sewing dresses for my sisters and me until the night before," remembers El Katsha. "This tradition is essential," confirms Sawiris.
Another custom that overlaps with Muslim Eid celebrations is gifting children a new set of clothes and the 3edeya, an envelope with pocket money.
Instead of gift-giving, Coptic Christian families will give money to the younger members of the family on Christmas Eve (January 6th). This is a popular tradition that’s done on most other Egyptian holidays too.
January 7 only became a national holiday in Egypt in 2002.
Since many travelers have time off from work and school around the Christmas Holiday, it's a very popular time to travel to Egypt!
Visiting Egypt During Christmas: What to Expect
The weather in Egypt during Christmas is perfect (whether celebrating on December 25 or January 7), with most days being sunny and warm, and the nights mild and cool (but not cold).
Egypt during what we consider Christmastime (December 25) is actually not that different from any other time of the year, since Coptic Orthodox Christians (the main branch of Christianity in Egypt) celebrate Christmas later in the season, like mentioned before.
You'll notice decorations like Christmas Trees up in shopping malls (you might even see a Santa Claus), and around Coptic Churches, but other than that, you probably won't know Christmas is happening at all.
What you will definitely notice when visiting Egypt during Christmas is beautiful weather (like I said earlier, sunny and warm!), and lots and lots of tourists!
If you really like avoiding crowds, getting to the sites early morning, right when they open, can help ensure you have the best chance of enjoying them without the throngs of people getting in the way.
In Egypt, winter mornings can be quite cool, so you'll want to start the day in long pants and likely a sweater or light jacket before shedding some layers later in the day after the sun is high in the sky.
Temperatures in the north of Egypt (think Cairo and Alexandria) are warm during the day but cool or even cold at night, and the wind can be intense. Packing a mixture of heavy and light clothes that you can layer is the best way to ensure you’ll be comfortable.
In Luxor and Aswan, the weather will be warm and sunny during the day, but watch out for cool mornings when you are on your Nile Cruise, in the middle of the Nile River. The combination of a strong wind over the chilly water and cooler temperatures means it might be colder than you think!
If you're visiting Luxor during Christmas, of course the most popular sites like the Valley of the Kings and Karnak Temple will be swarming with people, but if you want to go off the beaten path, you might find little to no tourists at all at certain places.
Off the Beaten Path: Lesser-Visited Sites
- Lesser-visited sites in Luxor: Don't just see the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, and Hatshepsut's Temple. Try visiting the lesser known Deir el Medina Workers' Tombs, or Madinet Habu Temple to have fewer crowds to deal with
- Lesser-visited sites in Cairo: Cairo is one of the largest cities in Africa, and of course you have to see the big sites like the Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, and the Grand Egyptian Museum, but try going to lesser-known places like the Pyramids of Dahshur, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, or the Mosque of Ibn Tulun.
- Lesser-visited sites in Aswan: Everyone in Aswan visits Philae Temple, the High Dam, and the Unfinished Obelisk, but I love going to Kalabsha Temple, Elephantine Island, or the Nubian Museum for something different.
Often Egyptian hotels will be decorated for Christmas in December through mid-January, and they usually offer a special Christmas Day Meal, or New Years Meal - these can get pretty expensive though, so definitely ask about the cost before reserving a special meal at your hotel!
Malls in Egypt at Christmastime will often have decorations up, and maybe even a visit from Santa, but that's about it.
By December 25, a lot of churches will likely have decorations up, like Christmas lights and nativity scenes.
If you find yourself in Egypt over the Coptic Orthodox Christmas (7 January), then there are more traditions and activities you can join!
Since Coptic Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th, you can attend a special Midnight Mass at any Coptic Church on January 6th. Be forewarned though - these services can often be super long (sometimes as long as 3 hours!), and most of it will be in the Coptic Language, a language older than Egyptian Arabic, and usually only spoken during church services or by monks at Coptic Monasteries.
Coptic Orthodox Christians often have a feast to celebrate Christmas. If you are lucky enough to be invited to someone's home for a Christmas Feast, don't hesitate!
This feast is where Christians will break their 43 day fast (where they only eat vegan food), and for the first time in 43 days, eat meat and dairy - expect lots of good, hearty food.
There is Santa Claus in Egypt, whom they call "Baba Noel" instead of Santa Claus - "Baba" in Arabic means "dad", or "father".
Even though Egypt's population is predominantly Muslim (between 70-90% of Egyptians are Muslim), since Egypt has a large Christian population (in the MILLIONS), Christmas is an important holiday!
A January 7th Christmas celebration is what you can expect in Egypt, even though there may be decorations in specific places like shopping malls and churches on December 25th.
Egyptian Christians might give and receive gifts, but this is not as common or to the extent that we do in the USA. Usually children are the only ones who receive gifts, and this often will be money to buy treats or a small toy.
Even though Christmas is an official holiday in Egypt, all tourist sites remain open, so you can visit museums, Pyramids, Tombs, and more on Christmas Day! You may even see more Egyptians at these sites on these days, since they may have the time off of work, even for Muslim Egyptians.
Muslims in Egypt deeply respect and honor their Coptic Orthodox Christian friends and co-workers, so it's very common for a Muslim Egyptian to tell a Christian Egyptian "Merry Christmas", or to send them well-wishes via social media, a phone call or text message, or in person.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Egypt
If you want to say Merry Christmas in Egyptian Arabic, there are two ways you can say it:
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