What about a different Christmas for this Year

A Different Christmas!
 
Warm sun and deep azure sea with rich underwater life instead of customary chilly and frosty weather, palms and sandy beaches of your most sacred dreams instead of snowy streets and endless rows of shops with holiday offers, Baba Noel instead of famous Santa Claus – Christmas in Egypt is all different starting from the atmosphere all the way to the festivities.



Exotic and alluring Egypt, the cradle of the World’s greatest civilization and the shelter for the Holy Family and baby Jesus, today is an Islamic state with 10 per cent of Coptic Orthodox population. Since 2002 the main Christian holiday is set as a day-off for the representatives of country’s both major religious groups – Muslims and Christians.



However, Christmas in Egypt differs from the Western holiday. Here it is more of religious significance. People attend the Masses in nearby churches or travel to the remote ones supposedly built on the rout of the Holy Family.  The service in all the churches starts on Christmas Eve; the bell ring heralds the start of the religious celebration and the Mass that lasts till midnight. In the morning people congratulate and treat each other with sweet cakes; some go to the cinema or the theatre, others prefer restaurants or cafes. By the way, Copts mark the birth of Jesus on January 7, though Christmas-themed bazaars, parties, shows and concerts are held in Cairo and other big cities from December 24.




 
The Christmassy atmosphere as well appeals to non-Christian Egyptians as the holiday is well respected by all Muslims. The street vendors of sweets and candies, shop keepers selling clothing and decorations, people working in the tourism industry – they all await Christmas too, and not only for commercial profit but in order to congratulate their friends, neighbors and clients with one of the most important religious holidays… In some streets in Cairo you can find fir trees, hollies, little Santa Claus figurines and Santa hats, bells and blinking lights, wishes for “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year”; though this Western-style celebration is more popular in hotels and aboard the Nile cruises were you actually can spend your Christmas – so much familiar and yet novel and exciting.
 
Break the stereotypes and abjure the traditional way of celebrating Christmas; no snow and decorative snowflakes, no fir trees and mistletoe, no stocking above the fireplace and no Santa with a sack of presents; only sun, fertile Nile banks, golden beaches, palms and majestic antique monuments in the boundless deserts. With Lady Egypt Tours you can travel around the Land of the Pharaohs and visit the most remarkable landmarks, participate in exclusive, adventurous activities included in the tour packages or order extras and party at the same time. If you are searching for something more exciting and extraordinary, you’d better choose a package with Christmas or the New Year parties celebrated on the Nile cruise. You can enjoy the coolness of the night and your leisurely sail along the river, dine on cruise ship and join Galabiya Party, wearing a national costume and playing fun games.
 
Also, Lady Egypt has tour packages for the less venturesome, offering a quiet Christmas Eve in one of the most luxurious 5 or 4-star hotels, such as Moevenpick Cairo Pyramids, Mena House or Le Méridien Pyramids Hotel & Spa… Enjoy high-class service and elegant gala dinners, taste Egyptian and world cuisine from the best chiefs and see some of the main attractions of Egypt.
 
Merry Coming Christmas!