what is an important holiday that is celebrated in egypt

The experience of visiting Egypt in itself is a lifetime experience, and to make it even more unique, the experience of visiting during famous festivals in Egypt is more fulfilling in terms of the atmosphere that will float to you and make you feel that you are part of the people of the country or in terms of pride and honor in the country’s long history full of rich events that deserve celebration.

What is an important holiday that is celebrated in Egypt?

In Egypt, there are many holidays that Egyptians celebrate throughout the year. Some holidays are religious, some are traditions from the ancient Egyptians, and some celebrate military victories or political matters. Some of the most important of these holidays are:

• Eid al-Fitr is one of the religious holidays for Muslims that follows the month of Ramadan.
• Easter is one of the religious holidays celebrated by Egyptian Christians and is a very important day.
• Sixth of October; It represents an important day in memory of the Egyptians’ victory in one of their wars, making it one of the most important holidays in Egypt.

Since the history of the Egyptians extends for thousands of years of popular and political holidays in addition to religious holidays, we have a lot to talk about.

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Public Holidays in Egypt

Many Egyptian holidays and traditions take place throughout the twelve months of the year and most of them are public holidays such as:

• Sinai Liberation Day, which falls on April 25, is celebrated by Egyptians as the return of their beloved Sinai to them.
• Labor Day, which takes place on the first of May, is a day when all the hard-working workers in Egypt breathe a sigh of relief.
• Revolution Day (the same day as Police Day) takes place on January 25th, when Egyptians remember their inspiring revolution in 2011.

Given Egypt’s rich history, you should know when to visit Egypt specifically around these many and varied holidays.

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Religious Festivals in Egypt

Egypt has a large number of religious holidays that are celebrated by many of its citizens. These holidays keep the citizens in constant contact with each other more than anything else. Some of these religious holidays are:

• Eid al-Fitr, which Muslims celebrate by breaking their fast after the month of Ramadan.
• Eid al-Adha is the holiday that Muslims celebrate by sacrificing to help the poor. It usually occurs more than two months after Eid al-Fitr.
• Copic Christmas; It takes place on January 7th and is celebrated by the Egyptian Christian community as the birth of Jesus Christ.
• Holy Week and Good Friday; This week comes before the Coptic Easter which concerns the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• Ashura; A holiday that is celebrated differently by two groups of Muslims. For Sunni Muslims in Egypt, it is a holiday to celebrate the miracle of the sea for the Prophet Moses, but for Shiite Muslims (the group present in Egypt is Sunni, but this is additional information), it is the anniversary of the killing of one of the most important Islamic figures, namely Hussein.

Many, many religious holidays are celebrated by Egyptians, spreading joy and happiness throughout the country.

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Religious Festivals in Egypt

Some holidays are celebrated by all groups with the same enthusiasm and excitement every year. These holidays are popular or cultural. Here are some of them:

• Sham El-Nessim; It is a holiday that Egyptians have celebrated for thousands of years. They eat certain types of fish, such as herring and feseekh, and they color eggs with them in a celebration for families to bring them closer together.
• Cairo book fair; It lasts for about a month and this exhibition represents and explains the great Egyptian culture and their love for reading, knowledge, and science, especially since this exhibition dates back many years.
• El Gouna or Cairo Film Festival; El Gouna Film Festival or Cairo Film Festival (two different festivals at different times of the year) distinguish Egyptian cinema and highlight the brilliance of its brilliant artists.

There are many other holidays such as the Nile Loyalty Festival, which represents the Egyptians’ love and appreciation for the beautiful Nile.

Special Celebrations in Egypt

Some special celebrations in the beloved land of Egypt put Egyptians and visitors in a state of harmony, comfort, and pleasure in enjoying the breezes of the cultural holidays and vacations.

• Abu Simbel Sun Festival; Celebrating the splendor of astronomical phenomena in the sun’s rays falling on the face of King Ramses II at Abu Simbel Temple
• July 23rd Revolution Day; This day represents the officers’ coup against the royal rule and the transformation of Egypt from a monarchy to a republic.

There are many other holidays that have their own special foods or sweets, such as the Prophet’s birthday, which is celebrated on the date of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad in the spring.

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History of Holidays in Egypt

Since there are many holidays for different occasions, whether they are ancient Egyptian holidays, religious holidays, or to celebrate political changes, each holiday has its own story and history.

• During the time of the ancient Egyptians, the Egyptians celebrated festivals to sanctify their gods, such as Osiris, Ra, or Amun, for example.
• Among these festivals is the Opet Festival, a festival celebrated by the king every thirty years of his reign as a renewal by the gods of his strength to rule Egypt.
• As for the Muslim holidays, such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, they are holidays that began to be celebrated after the entry of Islam into Egypt in the seventh century AD. Since then, the new holidays have entered the hearts of the Egyptians with the entry of the new religion.
• Christian holidays have been in place in Egypt since the first century AD, as Egypt was a place where Christ and the Holy Family were housed, which affected the Egyptian spirit and their love for religion and Christian holidays.
• Relatively new holidays, such as revolution days or public holidays, also represent the ongoing changes taking place in the Egyptian state.

Each holiday represents a certain era and a certain history witnessed by the Egyptians, and they all come together to represent the long and fascinating history of Egyptian holidays.

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How to Enjoy Public Holidays in Egypt

Holidays are times when citizens relax and try to vent their souls a little. Even if you are outside the culture that celebrates the specific holiday, you will still have a desire to know about this holiday and even celebrate it. So how to enjoy public holidays in Egypt?

• Celebrate with the locals; It would be a great opportunity if you were able to celebrate with the locals their holidays which would provide you with unforgettable memories.
• Enjoy the streets; The streets are the place to celebrate different holidays. When you are outside, you will feel the joyful atmosphere of the holidays and the happiness of the Egyptians and you will feel that you are in your place.
• Shopping for holidays and gifts; Some Egyptian celebrations require specific foods, sweets, and new clothes, or you can even bring souvenirs to remind you of these amazing holidays so that they do not leave your mind and remain in your heart for the rest of your life.

The Egyptian people are friendly and love celebrations and making friends. The idea of ​​having fun with the locals during their holidays is a very acceptable idea and will help you understand the culture and spirit that the Egyptians enjoy.

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Experience Egypt’s Holidays with Our Exclusive Tours

With good planning with Egypt Tours Group, you will enjoy our exclusive tours that will take you to the holiday places, whether it is a holiday in a specific temple such as Abu Simbel, your trip will take part in Aswan, or if the holiday is religious, your trip will include part of the churches or mosques of Cairo, so that you will be immersed in the great Egyptian spirit that will change a part of you and make you love this country and its great history.

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Why Choose Us for Your Egypt Holiday Experience?

With Egypt Tours Group your trip will be perfect and here are some reasons to convince you why you should choose us;

• Experienced guides; Experience is what will tell you about the history of the many and varied holidays, the relationship between each holiday and the other, and how they are all considered part of the Egyptian identity.
• Authentic experience; Engaging in the festivals of different folk cultures is an authentic experience of feeling alive and reminding us of our identity as human beings who love life and joy.
• New experiences; It will be a new opportunity to eat various foods such as Eid Kahk (a type of sweet), herring and feseekh (a type of fish), Mawlid sweets, or various foods eaten on Egyptian holidays.

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Conclusion

In the end, and to summarize the time, sometimes getting to know the cultures of other peoples can be a unique and unforgettable experience, and the experience of knowing the religious, cultural, popular and political history of another country can be a very tiring process, but through the holidays, many doors are opened, the most important of which are the doors of joy and psychological comfort.

Frequently asked questionsDo Egyptians celebrate Western

holidays like Christmas and New Year?

Yes, they celebrate it and lights cover the streets of big cities like Cairo, for example, but it is not one of Egypt’s holidays itself.

Are there any safety instructions during Egyptian holiday celebrations?

Not quite just because the holidays can make the streets crowded so please take care of yourself and stay away from the crowds a little bit.