10 Things to Do in Cairo at Christmas

In Egypt there is a percentage of Christian population that keeps alive the most traditional Christmas celebrations. In addition, as a result of the high influx of European and Western tourists in Cairo at this time of year, more and more hotels and places are celebrating Christmas for their guests.

Of course, do not expect streets decorated to the flag or the typical Christmas trees. Here Christmas is different and in this post I will tell you what are the Christmas traditions that are celebrated in Cairo or what are the best plans you can do at this time to keep alive the Christmas spirit.

In Egypt it is estimated that approximately 15% of the population is Christian and therefore celebrate Christmas. The vast majority of them are concentrated in Cairo and belong to the Orthodox branch known as Coptic. Christmas in Egypt's capital is celebrated following the traditions of the Copts. In fact, the Coptic quarter of Cairo is the religious center of this Christian current.

The main differences of the Coptic Christmas are that the day of the birth of Christ is celebrated on January 7 instead of December 24 and that a fast is held from November 40 days before Christmas Day. Otherwise, the Coptic Christmas also has celebrations, dinners, special dishes and a lot of rites and customs that I invite you to discover if you travel to Cairo at this time.

One of the Christmas customs that the Copts have and that most attracts tourists is to make the route of the Holy Family. According to the Bible, the family of Jesus in his flight from Israel arrived in Cairo and took refuge in several points on which today churches are built in honor of the baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.

Most of these churches are located in the Coptic quarter. The ones that are part of this route and are worth visiting are:

• The Church of St. Sergius.
• The Hanging Church or Al-Muallaqa.
• The Church of Santa Barbara.
• The Church and Convent of San Jorge.
• The Church of the Virgin.

In the dates of Christmas all of them make special celebrations that include representations of cribs or performances of choirs. The Coptic museum in the neighborhood itself contains all the history related to the Holy Family and is a very interesting complement to complete this route.

Coptic Christmas in Egypt is not celebrated on December 25, but on January 7. If you happen to be in Cairo on this day, it is interesting to know what the traditions are:

• The celebration of Christmas is preceded by a period of fasting that the most religious Copts do from November 25 and the less religious ones usually do it for a week.
• As you can imagine, Christmas meals are considerable. It is a good occasion to taste the local gastronomy according to its tradition.
• The churches along the route of the Holy Family make their respective celebrations being the main one officiated by the Coptic Pope in the Cathedral of St. Mark in Cairo and televised for the whole country.
• As part of the celebration there are also Christmas carol concerts, with a mixed program of international and Coptic music.

If you travel to Cairo in December or January you will surely miss the typical Christmas decorations or at least the atmosphere of this holiday season. In the rest of the capital Christmas goes unnoticed, but in the Coptic neighborhood you can see decorations and even Christmas trees. So strolling through the neighborhood is one of the most Christmasy things you can do.

I propose a tour of this neighborhood in which, in addition to its Coptic churches, you can see places like:

• The ruins of ancient Roman towers.
• The mosque of Amr Ibn Al As, the oldest mosque in Egypt.
• The synagogue of Ben Ezra.
• The Coptic museum, very interesting to know all the history of the neighborhood.

You can take advantage of a tour of this neighborhood to soak up a bit of history as well as a bit of Christmas spirit.

New Year's Eve is not celebrated in Cairo as we know it in the West, since they follow the Arab calendar and New Year's Eve is a different date. But given the high number of European visitors in late December, hotels and other establishments do celebrate New Year's Eve in a similar way to the West.

To celebrate New Year's Eve in Cairo you have several options:

• Sign up for one of the gala dinners held by some of the city's hotels.
• Book a dinner cruise on the Nile buffet style, which also includes live performances.
• Book tickets for the sound and light show at the Pyramids of Giza, which on December 31 is even more special.

What better way to celebrate Christmas than to do it sharing a good lunch or dinner. Tasting the typical gastronomy of Cairo at Christmas is one of the best activities we can do.

As in the dates before Christmas there is a fast in which you can not eat meat or dairy, many of the typical recipes do not carry those ingredients, but when the fast is over there is a very wide range of dishes that we can try:

• The most popular dish is Ghryba crackers, made with ginger, almonds, nutmeg and lemon zest.
• The Fatteeh is a rice dish with meat, a vine leaves with pear known as the Wara'einab.
• The Kahk el Eid are cookies with tea also very frequent on January 7.

In Cairo restaurants and especially in the Coptic quarter you can try these Christmas delicacies. Oh, and another way to sample a wide variety of local and international food is to book a Nile dinner cruise.

If you're a lover of Christmas lighting, you won't find many displays of it in Cairo. But almost every night in the Egyptian city takes place one of the most impressive light and sound shows in the world: the one at the Pyramids and the Sphinx of Giza. On these wonders lights and images are projected to the rhythm of music that captivate everyone who sees it.

December 31, on New Year's Eve, is one of the best days to see it. To bid farewell to the year, a special show that will remain etched in the retina of all those who are lucky enough to end the year enjoying it. Booking a ticket for the sound and light show at the Pyramids of Giza will make your New Year's Eve a day to remember.

Did you know that Cairo and Egypt have their own Santa Claus? His name is Baba Noel. This is also the land of the Magi, so gifts are a fundamental part of Christmas in Cairo. That's why the city's bazaars and markets are filled with people looking for the perfect gift for Christmas. The best known of them all and the best place to do your Christmas shopping is the Khan El Khalili market.

Considered the best market in the Middle East, here you will find all kinds of products for Christmas gifts, as well as cafes and restaurants to liven up your shopping. If you don't find the perfect Christmas gift here, it doesn't exist:

• Jewelry.
• Egyptian handicrafts.
• Perfumes.
• Spices.

If you want to visit this bazaar in a comfortable way, with transfers to your hotel included, I recommend you to hire a guided tour of Cairo. You will live an unforgettable day!

Another favorite activity for tourists at Christmas, and generally the rest of the year, are camel rides. To get on these animals and take a ride with the pyramids in the background is quite an experience and at Christmas time it makes you feel like you are in the shoes of the Three Kings of the Orient. To give it more atmosphere, you can even do it at night under the stars, although they will not be the ones who guide us to Bethlehem, but a qualified guide.

The prices of this activity vary depending on several factors such as the size of the group, the duration of the tour or the hours, but they start from a very affordable base. The advantage of doing it at Christmas time is also the temperatures at that time, as they are very pleasant unlike in summer or spring when you do not feel like taking a walk under the scorching sun.

Want an idea for a day full of adventures? Book a desert tour with 4x4 safari, camel ride and sandboarding from Cairo- it will be the most special Christmas of your life!

Celebrating Christmas in Cairo is already a luxury and a very different way to do it. But you can make it even more special if possible as do many of the tourists who come to the Egyptian capital at that time. I am suggesting you to do it aboard a cruise on the Nile River.

Given the high demand of tourists at Christmas, these cruises organize celebrations and dinners according to these holidays. Cairo is a departure point for the vast majority of vessels plying the Nile and there are cruises that travel along its entire length with stops at places of interest such as Luxor, Aswan or Abu Simbel.

Celebrating Christmas on board is something very special every day more demanded, as it is also to say goodbye to the year by hiring a dinner cruise on the Nile.

January, when Christmas is celebrated in Cairo, is the coldest month of the year in the capital of Egypt, although it is not exactly cold. In fact temperatures in January are more similar to those we have in Europe in spring. Highs hover around 20 degrees Celsius, while lows do not usually drop below 10 degrees Celsius.

The weather is extremely pleasant and since the probability of rain is minimal and there are few cloudy days, Christmas becomes one of the best times to travel to Cairo considering the weather.

In many of the European cities Christmas holidays are key to attract tourists and this is usually a reason for a high tourist influx. But in Cairo this factor is almost irrelevant and what makes the months of December and January are considered high season is the weather. In summer temperatures are unbearable, so winter concentrates the vast majority of visitors to Cairo.

This makes it high season, which translates into more demand for travel and hotels, more queues and people in the monuments and more expensive prices when booking our trip.

The weather often confuses travelers to Cairo as it is different from the European climate, especially in winter. If you are traveling in December or January to the capital of Egypt forget about Christmas sweaters, hats and warm clothes typical of those dates. What you should bring in your suitcase I tell you below:

• Light-colored light clothes for the daytime.
• Thin jackets and something a little warmer for the evening.
• Since it is an Islamic country, in some places there are dress restrictions. So wear long-sleeved clothes, and in the case of women it is advisable to wear a scarf to cover your hair.
• Always carry your passport with you, as you may be asked for it at various monuments or places of interest.
• Cap, sunglasses and accessories to combat the sun are still useful.