4 Unique Ways to Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Egypt

New Year’s Eve (NYE) arrives with a cause for celebration, and though some people prefer to ring in the new year with revelrous fiestas, others prefer ushering it in with jubilant but simple celebrations.

Whether NYE means celebrating with close friends, family, or even alone, there are numerous ways to ensure a night of fun and simplicity. From a competitive night of Egyptian board games to a mesmerizing felucca ride, here are some ideas for a unique NYE in Egypt.

Game Night

A NYE celebration at home calls for a game night, whether through the traditional Egyptian classics like tawla or tarneeb or through an intimate card-game. Here are some Egyptian-born games to play for a night of rolling laughs and fun.

Egypt’s gaming start-up 2ool Ameme (Say a Meme) has several card and board games that are tailored to fit Egyptian culture. From a meme-guessing game, truth or dare interactive board game, and sketching card games, 2ool Ameme has it all.

After a night of competitiveness and laughs, end the NYE celebration with a more reflection-based game, such as the ‘Lighthouse’ card game. ‘Lighthouse’ aims to spark vulnerability and honest conversations between close friends and family. Players are to choose between four categories, including coffee, ashtray, mirror, and suitcase. A player draws a card and the rest have to answer the question. As instructed on their website, winning this game is easy: players have to “listen.”

 

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Food Board Night

Instead of the traditional potluck, the food board trend–where people show up at someone’s home with a slab covered in different food options–has unleashed the creative instincts in people all around the world.

While people usually bring in trays of food that range from Charcuterie boards, taco and nacho boards, and dessert platters, an Arab spin on the food board can guarantee a fun night. For a large group of people–whether friends or family–people can arrange to have food boars from different parts of the Arab region. A night full of a blend of Lebanese, Egyptian, Moroccan, Jordanian, and more is a night worthy of remembering.

Felucca Ride

From either the banks of Zamalek or Maadi, feluccas dot the Nile river.

For those who do not wish to spend a NYE at the comfort of their house, but also choose not to splurge on an expensive party, a felucca midnight ride will bring the best of both worlds. A felucca ride is an affordable, yet a special way of starting a new year.

Camping

A sweet escape from the hustle and bustle of the city is a quick fix for starting the new year refreshed. Between the mountains, deserts, and the seas, Egypt’s landscape offers many places for camping.

From Egypt’s Western Desert to the sand dunes of Fayyoum, there are many options for a trip for a city-escape. The White andBlack Desserts, Siwa, Ras Mohamed National Park, and Fayoum are all options for an unforgettable NYE camping trip.