New Year in Egypt is celebrated throughout the country with immense zest and enthusiasm. Egyptian New Year does not encompass the Christian traditions in entirety, but New Year celebrations in Egypt has a lot to do with the Islamic traditions of New Year. One of the most popular and widely-celebrated Festivals and events in Egypt, New Year in Egypt is special indeed.
New Year in Egypt that is celebrated according to the Christian tradition is widely known as Coptic New Year. This festival marks the reappearance of Sirius, the Dog Star in the skies of Egypt. Such a manner of celebrating New Year in Egypt also marks the commemoration of Coptic martyrs. Altars and the vestments of the officials are decorated in bright red to represent the martyrs' spilled blood. It is customary to eat red dates on the New Year in Egypt.
The other way of celebrating New Year in Egypt is according to the Islamic rituals. The festive ambiance prevails as soon as the announcement of the sight of new crescent moon is made. Although it is known in advance when the New Year in Egypt begin, the custom of the new crescent moon must be seen before the official announcement is made is still observed. The sighting and the subsequent announcement is carried out at the Muhammad Ali mosque which is at the top of the hill in Cairo.
New Year in Egypt is an occasion of getting together with friends and family. The special dinner is one of the biggest attractions of the festival. New Year in Egypt is also an occasion to break free from the regular codes of conduct. Girls, who are usually allowed to wear only black, can wear bright colored dresses on this day. Sweets are distributed among children. Boys are given sweet molded into the shape of a boy on horseback whereas girls are given one in the shape of a girl wearing a dress.
Travel.mapsofworld.com provides online information regarding New Year in Egypt.
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