Special Events in Cairo
Every year there are many festivals and special events held in Egypt. Some of the special events and festivals surround religious holidays with celebrations being family events. There are also many festivals and special events held in Egypt each year that visitors may participate in and they are sure to be richly rewarding experiences.
Ramadan is an Islamic religious holiday involving daily periods of prayer during the daylight hours. Life slows down and many shops may close during the day. However, at night there are parties and celebrations occurring all over the city that are exciting to attend. Ramadan is based upon the Islamic calendar and may occur a various times of the year.
Eid Al Fitr is the celebration that occurs at the end of Ramadan. Three days of feasting are part of Eid Al Fitr and there are also neighborhood carnivals held all over the city. This is a fun time to stroll the city and get caught up in the excitement.
Coptic Christmas is celebrated in January. Coptic Cairo is the area of Cairo where most of the Christian population lives and where almost all the Christian churches are located. About 15% of the people of Egypt are Christian and their Christmas celebrations begin with 43 days of fasting, but when the fasting period ends the lively celebrations begin. Parades, dancing, festive music and large feasts held at the Christian churches are all part of this holiday. Visiting Coptic Cairo during this time of celebration is a rewarding experience.
Cairo Book Fair also in January . The book fair celebrates the art of writing in the Islamic traditions and features national and international books that are written in Arabic.
Evacuation Day can be experianced in June which celebrates the declaration of the republic by holding many public festivals all across Cairo. Also in June the annual Belly Dancing Festival is held at the Mena house Oberoi Hotel. Visitors will certainly enjoy experiencing either one or both of these activities.
Cairo International Song Festival held annually in August at the Cairo International Conference Center. Performers from all over the world gather to perform original musical pieces and the concept of the event originated with Egypt’s desire to be a part of the world cultural stage. The requirement for competitors is that there piece be no longer than four minutes and it must be completely original and not have been performed at any time anywhere in the world.
Experimental Theater Festival in September is held at the Cairo opera House. Actors from all over the world gather for this event to perform innovative and experimental methods of acting in a variety of performances.
Arabic Music Festival takes place in November at the Cairo Opera House. This festival celebrates traditional music of the Arabic culture. It features local performers cheered on by the local citizenry.
Sphinx Festival in December is held at the Swiss Club Villa. This festival is limited to 60 participants who engage in learning about Egyptian costumes, music, folk dance, philosophy and culture. Classes are conducted by academics and professional in the various craft.