The best part of a trip to Egypt is the Nile cruise. A cruise between Luxor and Aswan is one of the best things to do in Egypt. The people there call it the “River of Life,” You can feel its power all over the country, even in Cairo.
Egypt’s holidays have a lot of strict and well-thought-out rituals. For example, every Friday is a holy day for Muslims, and no other activities are performed except for prayer. During Islamic holidays, believers go to mosques, and there are strict rules about what food they should eat.
A list of Holidays, Events, and Festivals in Egypt:
- Moulid Al-Nabi (in October)
- Sayeda Zeinab’s Moulid (in March)
- Pharaonic Wedding (in October)
- Wafaa Al Nil (in August)
- Moulid of El-Hussein (in October & December)
- Abu Simbel Festival (in October)
- Sham al Nessim (in April)
- Art festival (in August)
- Eid Fitr (in May)
- Eid al Adha (in July)
- Moulid Abu el-Haggag (in July)
- Coptic Christmas in Egypt (in January)
- Egyptian National Day (in November)
Egypt is a natural paradise with many public, religious, and private holidays honoring Islamic and Christian religions. When Egyptians pilgrimage to Mecca, they drive their friends and family to the airport with blaring noises. And the birth of a baby can very quickly become a street party. The Egyptian allows his surroundings to share in the happiness and the sadness.
There are many different ways to celebrate a wedding. When a child of a simple family gets married, people roam the streets singing loudly. Those with more money, of course, party at a five-star hotel and invite 300 or 400 of their “closest friends” to a dinner party.
When this happens, it’s hard to hear what’s happening because the march with the drummers and singers takes a good hour and stops everything in the lobby. The young couple does not spend their wedding night, the night of the entrance, in their parents’ apartment or house; instead, they go elsewhere. Any other sign means bad luck.
Egypt has more celebrations and festivals than most other countries in the world. These include Coptic, Christian, Islamic, regular and secular holidays. People also use the Western Gregorian calendar, the Coptic calendar, and the Islamic Hijri calendar. Based on the Islamic calendar, Islamic holidays are among the most important.
When the Prophet Muhammad moved from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, the Hijrah was the first event to calculate time in lunar years. Dates in the shorter lunar calendar are advanced by ten to eleven days each year compared to the Gregorian calendar.
Since the Islamic calendar is based solely on the moon, Ramadan moves through the seasons and begins about eleven days earlier each year, according to the Western calendar. After nearly 33 years, it will have orbited the sun once.
History of Egypt Festivals
Egypt has a long history behind many traditions and rituals that must be performed in every festival. For this reason, it can be interesting to visit the country around the time of the festivities to see how prepared the people there are for their religious and political events.
The history of Egypt consists of a series of events that marked essential points in the country’s long history. It all starts with the first people settling on the Nile’s banks, but you can see how the country has changed and grown since then, creating a fascinating culture that continues to prove its worth through its best work.
Over time, political and cultural differences have made this kind of growth possible. That is why Egypt was ruled by dynasties that left monuments and architectural buildings in the city, objects, and places still preserved and admired today.
Main festivals & holidays in Egypt:
1- Anniversary of the Birth of the Prophet Muhammad. ( Moulid Al-Nabi )
All Islamic countries worldwide celebrate the birthday of the founder of Islam with great enthusiasm and joy. It occurs on the twelfth day of Rabi` al-Awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar. There are bright clothes all over the streets, and you can see the party lights from almost anywhere. Halawa al-Mawlid is a delicious nutty candy, Aroot al-Mawlid is a sweet doll for girls, and Hasan al-Mawlid is a gift for little children who look like horses.
2- Sayeda Zeinab’s Moulid
A million people from all over the Arab world turn out every year to pay homage to Sayyidah Zaynab, the grandmother of the Prophet Muhammad.
3- Pharaonic Wedding
In November, Egyptians celebrate the event symbolizing their country’s long and rich history. People believe getting married on this celebration is fortunate, and people often marry in the Karnak Temple.
4- Wafaa Al Nil
The Nile River is integral to Egyptian culture, so this event celebrates it. One of the first big parties in Egypt. This festival takes place in September every year, and the most important things there are drawing competitions, poetry readings, seminars, and musical performances.
5- Moulid of El-Hussein
It is one of the best street fairs of the year, and it lasts a week and ends on the last Wednesday of the second Hijri month. This feast is held at Al-Hussein Mosque to commemorate Al-Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in Iraq in 680.
6- Abu Simbel Festival
This Egyptian cultural party honors the ancient Egyptian customs that have to do with the Abu Simbel temple. The official day of this holiday is February 22.
7- Sham Al Nessim – One of the most famous festivals in Egypt
Many modern religious groups, such as Christians and Muslims, still celebrate this ancient Egyptian holiday. The name includes “spring,” which makes people think of a pleasant scent. Muslims and Christians often picnic outside on this one-day holiday and eat salted fish, dyed eggs, and sliced onions.
Some tourists rent a speedboat for two hours and walk in a big park called Al-Qanatir Al-Khairiya, next to the Nile. People come here to rent horses and QW motorbikes and spend the day riding them. On Sham Al-Nessim, every part of the country is busy and full of people, and everyone is smiling.
Read more about Easter in Egypt.
8- Art Festival
This Egyptian art festival lasts from the 24th to the 31st of August. No other cultural event in the Arab world is as essential as this festival. Despite the importance of these holidays and traditions, Ramadan, or Ramadan as it is called elsewhere, is the most critical part of Egyptian culture. The fourth pillar of Islam is Ramadan, the month Muslims are supposed to neither eat nor drink. The month in the Islamic calendar is believed to be the most uplifting and spiritually fortunate. Ramadan is an Egyptian holiday that is sometimes spelled Ramadan. All of Egypt and all Islamic countries celebrate it with great enthusiasm. During the month of Ramadan, many Muslim tourists go to Egypt.
9- Eid Fitr – One of Muslim’s main festivals in Egypt
As the name suggests, this party lasts for three days and happens after the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Every year, the Islamic calendar tells us when Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr will be, but the Western calendar, also widely used in Egypt, makes some mistakes. Since the Islamic calendar is based on the cycle of the moon and the Western calendar is based on the process of the sun, the two holidays may move by as many as 11 days each year.
10- Eid al Adha – One of Muslim’s main festivals in Egypt
The religious holiday begins about 70 days after the end of Ramadan. He remembers Abraham putting a sheep on the altar instead of his son. There will be a party for four days.
11- Moulid Abu el-Haggag
Every year before Ramadan, Al-Mawlid Abu Al-Hagaj in Luxor, Egypt, holds a street event called Sheikh. An example is a procession from the Luxor Temple to the mosque of Muhammad Abu al-Hajjaj. A boat is shown to honor the god Amun during this parade featuring musical performances.
12- Coptic Christmas in Egypt – One of the most famous holidays in Egypt
Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th, 13 days later than Christians in the West. Christmas for a Coptic family begins with church services remembering the birth of Christ; then, they eat a big meal together. The menu always contains garlic, rice, and pork.
One of the things they cook is kahk (sweet cookies). Coptic Christmas is the beginning of Lent. Egypt has many cities celebrating Christmas, but most Coptic Christians congregate in Alexandria and Old Cairo.
Read more about Christmas Celebrations in Egypt
13- Egyptian National Day
On October 6, there will be a day off. I remember how Israel won the Yom Kippur War against its enemies. As with every other national holiday, parades and air shows will be held to honor the military. There will also be great performances for the public to see.
So, are you planning your trip to Egypt?
When you book one of our Egypt holiday packages, you can see ancient temples and ruins, retrace the footsteps of the pharaohs and learn about Egypt’s long history.
During the day, you can visit the Giza pyramids and the Great Sphinx. You can relax on a Nile cruise to Luxor and Aswan in the evening. Relax swimming in the Red Sea with dolphins and coral reefs.
