Most holidays and festivals in Egypt are determined by the Islamic
calendar; however, several Coptic Christian holidays are widely
celebrated. For instance, Sham Al-Nessim is celebrated on Coptic Easter.
This holiday itself, however, has Pharaonic origins as a celebration of
the arrival of spring.
The Islamic calendar is a lunar-based calendar so Islamic holidays shift
10-11 days relative to the Western calendar each year. For this reason,
the Islamic holidays will cycle through the entire Western year over a
30 years period. Days also begin at sundown on the Islamic calendar so
the festivities usually begin on the evening before you might expect
them..
Ramadan:
By far the most important holiday in Egypt and also the most likely to
affect your time here is Ramadan. The holiday is named for the month of
the Islamic calendar in which it occurs as a celebration of the first
part of the revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet Mohammed. Most
Muslims fast (avoiding food, drink, sex, cigarettes) from sunrise to
sunset throughout the month. Ramadan is generally a time of heightened
piety. Muslims who might drink otherwise will often refrain and there is
a greater effort to adhere to traditional values .
The fast can have an effect on schedules with restaurants and shops staying closed during the middle of the day and opening after the fast is broken at sundown. Opening hours for tourism sites may shift as well, closing one hour earlier to allow employees to get home to break the fast.
Traveling during Ramadan does have its perks. Getting into the rhythm of
the fast can be a very rewarding experience. After sunset, the streets
come alive and people stay out celebrating and eating late into the
night. If you walk in the street around sundown there is a good chance
that you will be invited to eat with a group of fastbreakers.
Non-Muslims are not expected to observe the fast, but should be
conscientious of the fact that most people around them are fasting.
Refraining from smoking and eating in public is considered polite.
Other Islamic holidays
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the month of Ramadan and
in the cities is marked by big celebrations. Many Egyptians who can
afford it take this time to travel.
Eid al-Adha is equally or more
important, marking the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son in
the name of God. Families remember the sheep that he ultimately
sacrificed instead of his son with their own sacrificial slaughter.
There will be sheep and other livestock tethered all over the cities and
villages in the weeks leading up to the holiday, waiting to be
slaughtered after the morning prayers when the holiday arrives.
A few
weeks after Eid al-Adha is the Islamic New Year.
The last major Islamic
holiday is Moulid al-Nabi, the Prophet’s Birthday..
all of these holidays are widely observed. Many bars and restaurants will refrain from serving alcohol during these holidays as it is illegal for them to serve Egyptian nationals. Hotels will likely not be affected by these changes though...
Moulids
In addition to the Moulid al-Nabi, which is celebrated across the Muslim
world, there are many other smaller, local moulids that celebrate the
lives of Muslim saints or holy men. These events are supposedly intended
to obtain blessings from the saint being honored, but in practice they
are huge social events. Large moulids may attracted crowds in the
millions, dancing, chanting, selling goods, and generally having a good
time. These events are the biggest displays of Egyptian popular culture
in the entire year..
Cairo, Tanta, and Luxor all host large moulids. Al-Hussein, Sayeda
Zeinab and Imam Al-Shafi’i Mosques all host large moulids in Cairo at
different points in the years, but there are many smaller celebrations.
If you are lucky to hear about one, keep in mind that these festivals
are raucous, crowded affairs, full of music, ritual prayers and dancing.
Coptic Holidays
Coptic Christmas and Coptic Easter are both national holidays. Coptic
Christmas is on January 7th and in recent years more of the trappings of
the Western Christmas celebration have been making it to Egypt. You may
see more Santa hats, Christmas lights and Christmas trees than you ever
expected to see in Egypt around this time of year.
Coptic Easter also coincides with a much older holiday that traces its
roots back to Pharaonic times called Sham al-Nessim. The name literally
means ‘sniffing the breeze’ and it is a celebration of the arrival of
spring that usually takes place in April. The holiday carries some
traditions that might be familiar as they parallel the Western
celebration of Easter, such as egg painting. In general, Sham al-Nessim
is celebrated outdoors with families enjoying picnics in green spaces
and enjoying eating specific foods like a type of pickled fish called
feseekh.
