Egypt July Holidays
Enjoy July in Egypt when you can witness the sun shine most of the day and delve into the summer holidays in Egypt. Another month full of holidays and joy that gives you the opportunity to live the Egyptian culture and experience more about the local traditions, so it is the time now to try Egypt in July and have a different adventure away from the touristic crowd that you may encounter in other months while you are having your tour in Egypt, which can make your trip less enjoyable.
Ashura (5th of July)
Ashoura is an Islamic tradition that takes place on the tenth of Muharram (Islamic month), and it’s on the 5th of July in 2025; however, this day is changeable according to the lunar calendar that Muslims follow. It’s believed in the Islamic traditions that this day is when prophet Moses and his followers escaped the Egyptian pharaoh, and they celebrate it by fasting to commemorate this event. Ashura is also celebrated because it was the day that El-Hussein, the grandson of prophet Mohammed, got martyred. Muslims fast on this day to follow the prophet Mohamed’s steps (Sunnah deed) to get rid of the sins of the previous year; also, some people tend to fast the day before Ashoura, as the prophet instructed.
The Religious Reference
It is mentioned in the Quran that Allah asked Musa to leave at night with his people and warned them that they might be captured by Pharaoh. They were chased by Pharaoh and his army when they knew about their fleeing at night. Musa’s people informed him that they would be captured; however, Allah commanded Musa to strike the sea with his staff, informing them that they shouldn’t be afraid of being drowned in the water. The sea was split apart after Musa had struck it, making a path allowing them to pass to the other side. Then, Pharaoh and his army tried to follow them, but the sea closed again on them.
Celebration and Traditions
- Family Gatherings: It is something common in the Islamic world and Egypt to gather with your family and friends on such occasions; also, as this day is for fasting as well, you will find people gather with families to have their iftar meal together.
- Charity Deeds: Many Muslims like to do charity on this day to get closer to God and follow the instructions of the prophet Mohamed.
- Eating Special Desserts: Most Egyptians like to make and cook a certain dessert dish called Ashura pudding, which is named after the name of the event “Ashura.”
- Fasting and Praying: Most Muslims usually fast on this day and do much prayer to remove their sins and get closer to Allah.
A Traditional Egyptian Wheat Pudding “Ashura Pudding”
Ashura pudding is mainly cooked with wheat berries, legumes like white beans, chickpeas, rice, and dried fruit of your choice. In addition to these ingredients, you can add whatever you like in the dish. For example, nuts or fresh fruit to make the dessert perfectly. Also, you can put in orange or lemon to get a good refreshing taste. The final ingredient for getting a delicious flavor is cloves or rosewater. These two make a remarkable taste in this tasty Middle Eastern pudding recipe.
Revolution Day (23rd of July)
Commemorating the revolution of the 23rd of July is an annual thing to do on the same day; it’s for celebrating the Egyptian contemporary history, as this revolution was initiated to eliminate the British colonialism and feudalism and to begin a democratic life in Egypt, which was the main goal of the revolution. The 23rd of July revolution was initiated by the free soldiers of the army of Egypt, and it turned into a successful revolution with great popular support from people after the free soldiers controlled the authority. The revolution changed many aspects of the country, such as the economic, political, and social sides. One of the many results that has been affected in the society is that justice has been spread among the society, especially poor people.
After the revolution, Egypt turned into a republic from a kingdom, and the general Mohamed Naguib was selected as the first president of Egypt on the 18th of June, 1953. Then an agreement for evacuation occurred on the 19th of October, 1954, and the last soldier of England left Egypt on the 18th of June, 1956. Finally, the company of the Suez Canal was nationalized.
Also, there are plenty of national projects that have been set after the revolution, such as the High Dam, which is one of the greatest projects in Egypt till nowadays, and the reclamation of the agriculture project. As for the education sector in Egypt, after the revolution, it was made free for all Egyptians, and in 1961, the Ministry of Higher Education was made, as well as other ministries and organizations like the Ministry of Culture, the first regional agency in the Middle East, and Egyptian television was opened.
What is Revolution Day?
It’s a commemoration of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 to celebrate the anniversary of this big event, which marked a big change in the country’s aspects in socialization, culture, and politics as it ended the monarchy era and was the start of the republic. This day is also well-known as Egypt’s National Day for its importance. Egypt has witnessed many other revolutions, such as the 25th of January in 2011, which ended Mubarak’s time as president of Egypt.
The History of Revolution Day
Egypt was under English control in 1882, which was one of the major reasons for the revolution. Then, Egypt as a kingdom gained its independence from England and was established in 1922; however, it was not considered as fully independent with the big influence that Britain left behind. Then, the revolution was initiated by Muhammad Naguib and others called the Free Officers in 1952 to end the British occupation and force King Farouk to resign, and this was the end of the Kingdom of Egypt and the start of the independent republic of Egypt.
How is Revolution Day Celebrated?
Egyptians usually tend to go out to the streets and celebrate to commemorate this victory and brag, along with military parades and aired concerts. Also, this day is a national holiday and is a day off for all people in the country.
Egyptian Summer Festivals and Events
Egypt is one of the countries that gives a great summer vibes, as the country overlooks both the Mediterranean and Red sea, so it has a lot of beautiful and crystal beaches that allow hosting summer festivals and events to feel the vibes of the summer and enjoy the atmosphere. Here are some of the festival and concerts you can attend in Egypt in summer:
- Film Festivals: Egypt is considered one of the oldest countries that contributed to the cinema industry in the Middle East and has a quite rich history in this field, so there are a lot of international and national film festivals that take place in Egypt that you can attend and enjoy, especially in summer, like the Cairo Cinema Festival and El Gouna Cinema Festival, where you can feel the vibes and the fun more as you can lay out at the beautiful beaches of El Gouna while you are there.
- Cultural Events: Egypt is a cultural hub in the Middle East and the Arab world, so you will encounter a lot of cultural events while you are there to highlight the artistic background of the country, such as poems, writing, reading, and dancing events. You can enjoy these events in the big cities like Cairo, Alexandria, and the Red Sea cities such as Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh, and Dahab.
- Music Concerts: The Egyptian music is well-known worldwide and in the Arab world, along with the Egyptian singers who were awarded internationally, like Amr Diab, so this is their season for concerts, as while you are in Egypt, you can really attend as many concerts as you can and enjoy the summer vibes, especially in the North Coast of Egypt, where most of the concerts take place.
Egyptian Summer Vacation Ideas
Egypt is the right place to spend your summer time at, as it is full of activities and beautiful places to make you able to enjoy your time, along with the beautiful beaches that you can be amazed by their colors and transparency. So here are some ideas for your summer vacation in Egypt to spend a great time.
Water Activities:
Egypt is full of water activities, as it has both the Red and the Mediterranean seas, along with the beautiful Nile River. The diving and the snorkeling are the most common water activities in Egypt, in the Red Sea in particular, which attract most people from over the world to dive and see the amazing coral reefs and the beautiful nature, especially in both cities, Marsa Alam and Dahab. Also, the parasailing, banana boat ride, and yacht trips are widely known in both the Red and the Mediterranean Sea cities like North Coast, Hurghada, and Sinai. Finally, the beaches themselves in Egypt are great and warm for swimming experiences. In addition to other water activities that you can do in the Nile River while you are in Cairo, Luxor, or Aswan, like canoeing and felucca rides.
Snow Skiing:
Egypt is not a country that has snow even in winter; however, it does have many artificial places for skiing that you can enjoy in summer to have a refreshment like Snow City in CityStars Mall and Mall of Masr.
Beach Trip:
As we mentioned before about the beauty of Egypt’s beaches, you can really use your vacation in Egypt in the summer and experience these beautiful beaches to chill out and relax with a good swim.
Night Out:
Egypt is the right place to stay out at night and chill with your friends or family in summer when you literally can find anything you want all night, like restaurants, game stations, cafes, and many other places you can possibly think of, and that may be a result of people avoiding the sun in the day, so you will find most Egyptians are roaming around at night.
Conclusion
July has a variety of holidays and activities that you can enjoy and experience through trying fun and new ideas, along with exploring the Egyptian culture by knowing more about the holidays and the traditions. So, we have Ashura and the Revolution of 23rd July in this month to celebrate and witness them while you are in Egypt and discovering it in your tour.
