The tree, the lights, the carols, the presents- Christmas is a beloved worldwide holiday that comes around every year on December 25th – and in Egypt, also on January 7th. In some Christian denominations – namely Orthodox Christians – Christmas is celebrated on January 7th of every new year, rather than the more widely spread celebrations of December 25th. This is a mere result of translating calendars differently as Orthodox Christians refer to the Julian Calendar which labels Christmas on 25 December – a date that currently corresponds with 7 January on the more widely used Gregorian calendar. Coptic Orthodox Christians, who make up the majority of the Christian population in Egypt, celebrate this religious holiday on its January 7th date – which is why the day is a national holiday in Egypt. However, being that there are other Christian denominations in the country, as well as the fact that Western culture has associated us more with December 25th, Christmas in Egypt is usually celebrated on both of those dates. But what is the difference between these two Christmases? Before going into what distinguishes one Christmas from the other, it…
