Discover the Magic: Top 7 Unique and Exciting Fun Facts about Christmas in Egypt

1. Fasting Pre-Christmas Feast

If you thought your holiday diet was bad, try hanging out with Egyptian Coptic Christians during the festive season: they abstain from all animal products for a whopping 43 days leading up to their Christmas celebrations on January 7th! Their lavish dinner features scrumptious Egyptian delicacies like fatteh and wara' einab. And forget Santa, wallets are the true heroes here: Coptic families often gift money to their younger kin on January 6th.
Source => trafalgar.com

2. Nutty Christmas Trees & Cookies

In Egypt, Christmas gets a little nutty: picture a tree that celebrates the birth of Christ and a cookie exchange featuring baklava and kahk – Egyptian style! Queue the kaika tree, decorated with festive lights and ornaments, midnight Mass for Coptic Christians, and lots of sugar, as Egyptians sweeten up the holiday season with a flavor all their own.
Source => amiraspantry.com

Did you know that Australians swap snowmen for sandcastles during their Christmas celebrations? With sunny beaches, BBQs, and a surfing Santa, the holiday season Down Under is a unique and warm experience! 🏄‍♂️🎄🇦🇺

=> Fun Facts about Christmas-Around-The-World

3. Vegan Vibes and Kahk-walks

In Egypt, the Christmas celebrations are a "kahk-walk" filled with vegan vibes, late-night liturgy, and some sweet biscuit exchanges: Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th, after observing a 43-day Holy Nativity Fast, where they indulge only in a vegan diet, ending with a festive Christmas Eve Service lasting past midnight, and joyful gatherings revolving around exchanging 'kahk' – their traditional sweet treats.
Source => whychristmas.com

4. Holy GPS & Miraculous Water

Who needs a GPS when you've got a divine sense of direction and a knack for causing miraculous water eruptions? The Holy Family was no stranger to Egyptian escapades: Their time in Egypt included stopping by Tel Basta, making a spring explode from the ground, and leaving a blessed imprint on a stone in Gabal Al-Kaf - all of which are now popular pilgrimage sites for Christians across the globe.
Source => egypttoursportal.com

5. January 7th Baby Jesus Bash

'Twas a few days after Christmas, when all through the lands, not a Christian was stirring, still reeling from the bands: Egypt's Coptic Christians actually celebrate Jesus' birth on January 7th, because they follow the Julian calendar which differs from the Gregorian calendar used by the Western Church.
Source => copticchurch.net

6. Santa Sneaks into Egyptian Hearts

In a land known for pyramids and mummies, it seems Santa has managed to sleigh his way into the hearts of some Egyptians: despite being predominantly Muslim, an increasing number of families in Egypt are beginning to exchange gifts and indulge in festive feasts on Christmas, making your yuletide pilgrimage to Khan el-Khalili bazaar that much jollier.
Source => egypt-uncovered.com

7. Extreme Fasting Showdown

Carnivores, beware: Egypt's Coptic Christians put your Meatless Mondays to shame with their epic fasting marathons: These devout folks abstain from animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs, for up to 240 days every year, giving them the title of "Most Fastingest" among all Christian communities, with the Orthodox Tewahedo coming in a close second.
Source => en.wikipedia.org