Alexandria Events and Festivals 2014 / 2015

(Alexandria, Egypt)

The Egyptian city of Alexandria is probably best known for its annual film festival, which attracts international attention, while during the rest of the year the city is alive with various religious and commemorative events.

Many festivals in Alexandria and throughout Egypt are related to either the Coptic or Islamic religions. All public holidays are also important events in the city, when various celebrations take place.

National Public Holidays

• New Year's Day - January 1st
• Coptic Christmas - January
• Coptic Easter - March / April
• Sham an-Nessim - March / April
• Sinai Liberation Day - April 25th
• May Day - May 1st
• Liberation Day - June 18th
• Revolution Day - July 23rd
• Wafa'a el-Nil - August 15th
• Coptic New Year - September
• Armed Forces Day - October 6th
• Suez Victory Day - October 24th
• Victory Day- December 23rd

January

• Coptic Christmas - held in the first week of January, the Egyptian Christmas celebration sees Christians attending Mass, while they also fast for 43 days prior to this important day
• Islamic New Year - also known as Al Hijra, this day marks the day when Mohammed travelled from Mecca to Medina. Muslims use this day to reflect on their life and think about positive changes for the forthcoming year

February

• Union Day - held on February 22nd, this is a public holiday in Egypt

March

• Coptic Easter - late March / early April, an important date for those following the Coptic Calendar
• Sham an-Nessim - late March / early April, a notable Coptic festival which is actively celebrated by all Egyptians in the area, with Pharaonic origins

April

• Sinai Liberation Day - held on April 25th, this day commemorates the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Sinai Peninsula

May

• Labor Day - held on May 1st, this is a public holiday for all Egyptians and a day of rest

June

• Evacuation Day / Liberation Day - June 18th is a national public holiday marking the evacuation of foreign troops in 1954

July

• Revolution Day - held on July 23rd, this public holiday marks the 1952 Revolution, when the constitutional monarchy was overthrown

August

• Flooding of the Nile (Wafa'a el-Nil) - the start of the Nile's flood season is marked in mid-August

September

• Alexandria Film Festival - this annual film festival is organised by the Egyptian Association of Film Writers and Critics and features international film screenings with a focus on Mediterranean productions
• Coptic New Year - mid-September, falling on either September 11th or 12th, depending on leap years

October

• Armed Forces Day - October 6th sees country-wide celebrations marking the crossing of the Suez Canal by Egyptian forces during the Yom Kippur War
• Egyptian Naval Day - the destruction of the Israeli destroyer Eilat in 1967 is celebrated by some
• Alexandrias of the World Festival - mid-October, with various related events taking place in all of the cities around the world which are named Alexandria
• Suez Victory Day - October 24th see the celebration in commemoration of the resistance of local police forces in Suez during the Suez Crisis

November

• No significant events and festivals in Alexandria in the month of November

December

• Victory Day - December 23rd is marked in commemoration of the 1973 Yom Kippur War between Israel and a coalition of Arab nations which included Egypt

Ramadan

Ramadan - the ninth month of the Islamic calendar is a month of fasting, where Muslims do not eat from dawn to dusk. Some businesses may be affected by this holiday. The exact dates vary from one year to the next, and are out of synch with the Western calendar.