10 Things to Do in Cairo at Christmas

Egypt has a percentage of Christian population that keeps the traditional Christmas celebrations alive. In addition, due to the high influx of European and Western tourists to Cairo at this time of year, more and more hotels and venues are celebrating Christmas for their guests.

But don't expect streets decorated to the rafters or the usual Christmas trees. Christmas is different here and in this post I'll tell you about the Christmas traditions celebrated in Cairo and the best things to do during this time of year to keep the Christmas spirit alive.

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 according to Coptic traditions. In fact, the Coptic quarter of Cairo is the religious centre of the Coptic Christianity.

The main differences of the Coptic Christmas are that the day of Christ's birth is celebrated on 7 January instead of 24 December and that they fast 40 days before Christmas Day, starting in November. 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 of year.

One of the Coptic Christmas customs that attracts the most tourists is the Holy Family route. According to the Bible, the family of Jesus on their flight from Israel arrived in Cairo and took refuge in various places where churches are built today in honour 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 a visit 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.

At Christmas time, all of them hold special celebrations including nativity plays and choir performances. The Coptic museum in the neighbourhood 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 25 December, but on 7 January. 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, which the more religious Copts observe from 25 November, while the less religious Copts usually fast for a week.
• As you can imagine, Christmas meals are considerable. It's a good opportunity to sample the local cuisine in keeping with tradition.
• Churches along the Holy Family route hold their own celebrations, the main one being officiated by the Coptic Pope at St Mark's Cathedral in Cairo and televised throughout the country.
• Christmas carol concerts are also held as part of the celebration, with a mixed programme of international and Coptic music.

If you're travelling to Cairo in December or January, you'll probably miss the traditional Christmas decorations or at least the Christmas atmosphere. In the rest of the capital, Christmas goes unnoticed, but in the Coptic Quarter you'll see Christmas decorations and even Christmas trees. So a stroll through the neighbourhood is one of the most Christmasy things you can do.

I suggest a tour of this neighbourhood where, in addition to its Coptic churches, you can see places such as:

• The ruins of some ancient Roman towers.
• The mosque of Amr Ibn Al As, the oldest mosque in Egypt.
• The Ben Ezra synagogue.
• The Coptic Museum, a very interesting place to learn about the history of the neighbourhood.

You can take advantage of a tour of this neighbourhood 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 either, as 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:

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

What better way to celebrate Christmas than by sharing a nice lunch or dinner. Tasting the typical Cairo cuisine at Christmas is one of the best things to do.

As there is a fasting period before Christmas when you can't eat meat or dairy products, many of the typical recipes don't contain these ingredients, but once the fast is over there is a wide range of dishes to try:

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

In Cairo's restaurants, especially those 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, one of the most impressive sound and light shows in the world takes place: the one at the Pyramids and the Sphinx of Giza. Lights and images are projected on these wonders to the rhythm of music, captivating everyone who sees them.

The 31st of December, on New Year's Eve, is one of the best days to see it. To bid farewell to the year, a special show is put on that will remain etched in the memory 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 Father Christmas? His name is Baba Noel. This is also the land of the Three Wise Men, so presents 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 Christmas gift. The best known of them all and the best place to do your Christmas shopping is the Khan El Khalili market.

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

• Jewellery.
• 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 book a guided tour of Cairo. You will live an unforgettable day!

Another favourite activity for tourists at Christmas, and throughout the rest of the year, is camel rides. Riding on these animals and taking 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 Wise Men of the Orient. To add to the atmosphere, they can even be done at night under the stars, although it is not the stars that guide us to Bethlehem, but a qualified guide.

The prices for this activity vary greatly depending on various factors such as the size of the group, the length of the tour or the number of 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 don't feel like going for a walk in the scorching sun.

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

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

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

Celebrating Christmas on board is something very special and increasingly in demand, as is saying goodbye to the year by booking a Nile dinner cruise.

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

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

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

This makes it high season, which translates into more demand for travel and hotels, more queues and crowds at monuments and more expensive prices when booking your trip.

The weather often confuses travellers to Cairo as it's different from the European climate, especially in winter. If you're travelling to Egypt's capital in December or January, forget Christmas jumpers, hats and warm clothes. Here's what to pack in your suitcase:

• Lightweight, light-coloured daywear.
• Thin jackets and something a little warmer for the evening.
• Since it is an Islamic country, there are dress restrictions in some places. So wear long-sleeved clothing, and for women it's advisable to wear a scarf to cover your hair.
• Carry your passport with you at all times, as you may be asked for it at various monuments and places of interest.
• Caps, sunglasses and sun protection accessories are still useful.