El Alamein Events and Festivals 2014 / 2015

(El Alamein, Egypt)

El Alamein is well off the beaten path, and offers few attractions other than the WWII battlefield site and its memorials.

As such, there are virtually no festivals or events other than Egyptian national holidays and the standard Islamic religious days.

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 - at the beginning of January, the unique Egyptian Christmas celebration is a time when Christians attend Mass after they have fasted for the 43 days prior to this auspicious occasion
• Islamic New Year - this special occasion, known as Al Hijra, commemorates the Prophet Mohammed's journey from Mecca to Medina. Muslims all over the country reflect on the past year and plan positive changes for their lives over the coming year

February

• Union Day - this Egyptian public holiday, held on the 22nd of February each year, marks the creation of the modern state of Egypt

March

• Birth of the Prophet - another in the group of major Islamic holidays is this celebration of the Prophet Mohammed's birth

April

• Sinai Liberation Day - the 25th of April marks the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from the Sinai Peninsula after the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty was signed in 1979

May

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

June

• Liberation Day - this national public holiday, which falls on June 18th each year, commemorates the evacuation of foreign soldiers from Israel

July

• Revolution Day - this public holiday, held each year on July 23rd, is dedicated to the 1952 Revolution, which brought about the downfall of the Egyptian constitutional monarchy

August

• No important events or festivals occur during August in El Alamein

September

• Ramadan - Muslims fast from dawn to dusk during the ninth month of every year in order to focus on piety and develop their self-discipline. Many businesses close or have unusual opening hours during this holiday

October

• Armed Forces Day - celebrations all over the country on October 6th celebrate the Sinai crossing by Egyptian forces during the conflict
• Suez Victory Day - October 24th marks the commemoration of the resistance of Egyptian forces during the Suez conflict

November

• No important events or festivals occur during November in El Alamein

December

• Victory Day - the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which saw Israel fight against an alliance of Arab nations including Egypt, is remembered every December 23rd