Thanksgiving Celebration in Egypt:

Exploring the Celebrations of Thanksgiving in Egypt

Thanksgiving is not a traditionally celebrated holiday in Egypt, as it is primarily a North American holiday with historical and cultural ties to the United States and Canada. The holiday is not part of Egyptian culture or traditions.

That said, Egypt is a diverse country with expatriate communities from various parts of the world, including North America. Some expatriates living in Egypt may choose to celebrate Thanksgiving on their own or within their communities. Here's how expatriates in Egypt may celebrate Thanksgiving:

Private Gatherings: Expatriates and their families often celebrate Thanksgiving in the comfort of their own homes. They gather with fellow expats, friends, and family members to share a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner: The centerpiece of the celebration is the Thanksgiving meal, which typically includes a roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and various side dishes. Expatriates may also incorporate traditional dishes from their home countries.

Finding Ingredients: Expats may need to search for specific ingredients for their Thanksgiving meal, as some traditional items may not be readily available in Egyptian grocery stores. Specialized international markets or online stores may be a source for these ingredients.

Cultural Exchange: Celebrating Thanksgiving in Egypt can lead to a cultural exchange. Local friends and colleagues may be curious about the holiday, and some may join in the celebrations to learn more about North American culture.

Expressions of Gratitude: The essence of Thanksgiving is expressing gratitude, and expats take a moment to reflect on the things they are thankful for, whether it's the opportunity to live in Egypt, the support of their local community, or the chance to share their culture with others.

Charitable Acts: In the spirit of Thanksgiving, some expatriate communities may also organize charitable activities to give back to local Egyptian communities. This can include food drives, volunteering, or fundraising for charitable causes.

The ancient Egyptians were always ready to party and celebrate. In fact almost all the days in the year they seemed to be celebrating something or a god. The celebration of the spring-time harvest festival in Egypt was dedicated to ‘Min‘. Min was their god of vegetation and fertility. In Egypt, spring was the harvest season and this was the time to hold the festival. The people specially the Pharaoh (the most powerful person in ancient Egypt) took part in parade during this festival. After the parade, the great feast was held. People also used to take part in music, dancing and sports which were a part of the celebration.

When the Egyptian farmers completed harvesting their corn, they used to cry and pretend to be a grief-stricken. This was done to mislead the spirits of which they believed lived in the corn. The farmers had the fear that the spirits might become angry when they cut down the corn on which the spirits used to live.