Spotlight on Coptic Christmas in Egypt
January 7, 2010
President Mubarak Congratulates His Holiness Pope Shenouda III on the Occasion of Coptic Christmas
President Mubarak of Egypt congratulated his Holiness Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, and Coptic Egyptians at home and abroad on the occasion of Coptic Christmas -- taking place on January 7th, 2010.
Coptic Christmas in Egypt
For all Christians, the birth of Christ is a holy event, commemorated every year with special traditions. For Egyptians in the Coptic Orthodox Church, Christmas, celebrated on January 7th, has special significance because of the time the Holy Family spent in Egypt with the infant Jesus of Nazareth. In fact, the Coptic Church of Egypt is one of the oldest churches of Christianity, and was founded by Apostle Mark during the time of the Emperor Nero AD 37 – AD 68. In December 2002, President Mubarak declared Coptic Christmas to be an official state holiday, and the Christmas Mass is broadcast live on state television every year from The Coptic Cathedral in Abbasiya, Cairo.
The Holy Family in Egypt
When Christ was an infant, Joseph and Mary fled persecution from King Herod in Palestine by traveling to Egypt over the Sinai Peninsula. Their journey was fraught with hardship as the peninsula was an arid, uninhabited place. However, they were received safely by the Egyptian people and began a journey throughout the country eventually ending at Mount Qussquam. Many of the Coptic Churches in Egypt to this day are said to have been built at places the Holy Family journeyed through and many Copts take annual pilgrimages following the route of the Holy Family.
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Christmas Traditions
Members of the Coptic Orthodox Church fast for 43 days leading up to the holiday. This means, no animal products are allowed and eating or drinking is only allowed after sunset and before sunrise. This fast is broken by a grand feast after a church service on Christmas. In the week leading up to Christmas, many preparations take place for the big feast, and as in the West, many homes are decorated with Christmas Trees and lights.
The biggest Christmas service is held by the Coptic Pope in Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo at 11pm. After the service, families go home to break their fast. Copts make special sweet biscuits for Christmas. Qurban, or Holy Bread, is also distributed after the service in church. The bread is round with a cross in the middle that is surrounded by twelve dots – representing the twelve disciples of Jesus.
Why January 7th?
The disparity in dates of the Christmas celebration occurs due to the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582. Up until the 16th Century, December 25th coincided with the 29th day of the Koiak month in the Coptic Calendar; but with the introduction of the Gregorian calendar, December shifted 10 days earlier. Also, the Gregorian calendar drops three leap days every 400 years, which means by 2100, the Coptic Christmas will be on January 8th.
Koiak, the fourth month of the Coptic Calendar also coincides with the season of Akhet, where the Nile floods cover the land of Egypt. The name of the month comes from Ka Ha Ka, which means Good of Good, a name of the Ancient Egyptian sacred Apis Bull.
Copts in Egypt
Egypt has the largest and oldest Christian community in the Middle East, and is home to 2,069 churches. Copts are native Egyptian Christians whose ancestors embraced Christianity in the first century. In 2003, President Mubarak declared Coptic Christmas a national holiday. Some well-known Copts include: Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations and former acting Foreign Minister of Egypt; Youssef Boutros Ghali, Egypt Finance Minister; and Magued George, Environment Minister.
Office of H.E Pope Shenouda III