How to Celebrate an Egyptian Christmas
In Egypt, the Coptic (Orthodox) Church celebrates the birth of Jesus on January 7. This is a festive day on which family and friends come together. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Remember that the holy family fled Palestine for Egypt, passing through more than 20 cities on their journey to reach safety and security there.
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Observe Advent for 40 days prior to Christmas. During this time, eat no meat, poultry or dairy products. (Today, some people do this for only one week.)
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Wear a new outfit on Christmas Eve, following a long-standing tradition in Egypt.
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Understand that the church will be decorated with candles and lamps in memory of Joseph, who lit candles to protect Mary from the cold during the Nativity.
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Keep in mind that bells will ring when the Christmas Eve church service ends, signaling the end of the fast.
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Expect to receive a special bread called "qurban" at the conclusion of the service. The bread will have a cross in the middle and 12 dots, which represent the 12 apostles.
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Prepare a Christmas meal (called "fata") of rice, garlic and boiled meat.
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Spend Christmas morning visiting others. On your visits bring "kaik" (a type of shortbread), which will be eaten with a special drink called "shortbat."
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Tips & Warnings
Christians and Muslims both celebrate the Nativity (the birth of Jesus Christ).
Egypt is a country with several cultural influences, so its Christmas traditions are diverse and cannot be generalized. The above steps represent a few local traditions that may or may not be appropriate for your celebration.
