Egypt marked the Christmas season over a full 14-day period from 25 December to 7 January, with some churches celebrating Christmas according to the Western calendar on 25 December, and the majority, led by the Coptic Orthodox Church, observing the feast on 7 January.
The extended celebrations heightened the spirit of national cohesion, with churches adorned in festive decorations and Egyptian flags, public spaces featuring Christmas trees, and security measures in place to ensure the safety of the public.
The season also witnessed widespread exchanges of greetings among Egyptians of different faiths, highlighting the deep-rooted values of coexistence and social solidarity that characterise Egyptian society.
Maria, a mother whose children attend a convent school, said the school celebrates Christmas on 25 December, while her family observes it on 7 January.
“The celebrations last throughout this entire period. I receive greetings from my daughters’ classmates and their mothers, especially Muslim families, many of whom are not very familiar with the difference between the Western and Eastern calendars,” she said.
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb stated that congratulating Christians on their feasts is neither just a social courtesy nor a formality but instead stems from the true teachings of Islam.
He added that not extending season’s greetings reflects an extremist mindset that has nothing to do with Islam, which views Christians and Jews through the lens of affection and shared human belonging.
Christina, an employee at a private company, shared with Al-Ahram Weekly her week-long preparations for Eastern Christmas, adding that her family goes to church on Christmas eve on 6 January from 6pm until after midnight.
“This is followed by the breaking of a fast that lasts for more than 40 days, requiring the preparation of delicious dishes, much like the first Iftar of Ramadan for Muslims,” she said.
Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II, pope of Alexandria and patriarch of the See of St Mark, extended congratulations and visited the Coptic Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Episcopal Church, and the Maronite Church on 25 December.
Once the Western-calendar celebrations concluded, these church leaders in turn congratulated Pope Tawadros. Patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church Ibrahim Ishak and Patriarch Theodoros II, patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa for the Greek Orthodox Church, visited and extended greetings to Pope Tawadros.
Although the Evangelical community in Egypt also celebrates Christmas on 7 January, Reverend André Zaki, president of the Evangelical community, nevertheless paid a congratulatory visit to Pope Tawadros.
During the Evangelical celebration of Christmas, Zaki extended his appreciation to presidential representatives for attending and delivered a speech titled “The Birth of the President of Peace”.
Zaki noted that Christ was born into a world more familiar with conflict than peace, offering a model of peace founded on justice, reconciliation, and bridge-building between people, rather than violence or domination.
Before presiding over the Christmas Mass at the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ in the New Capital, Pope Tawadros received congratulations from state officials, while Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli visited the pope at St Mark’s Cathedral in Abbasiya. Pope Tawadros described the visit as embodying the depth of fraternal bonds among Egyptians.
He also commended the government’s focus on health and education as fundamental pillars of human development. Despite persisting challenges, he added, the most important objective remains the preservation of peace and security.
Continuing a long-standing tradition, Grand Imam Al-Tayeb visited St Mark’s Cathedral in Abbasiya on Monday, accompanied by the minister of religious endowments and the grand mufti of Egypt, to offer Christmas greetings.
Congratulatory visits to Pope Tawadros by senior state figures continued throughout the season. Yet, the most anticipated and cherished moment for Egyptians — Muslims and Christians alike — remains the annual visit of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi to attend the Christmas Mass, a tradition observed every year since 2015.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 8 January, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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