March Holidays in Egypt
March 2025 is a family gathering month as it is full of social holidays, so it’s the best time to dive into the Egyptian local culture and find out more about the traditions and holidays that take place on this month. In addition, March is considered one of the suitable months to visit Egypt for its cool weather and great vibes.
Importance of Holidays and Cultural Significance in Egypt
Holidays are important worldwide, and so in Egypt, as each country has its own holidays to celebrate and mark whether religious, social, and agricultural occasions or commemorating national and historical events. When it comes to Egyptians, holidays and celebrations are a huge part of their life and culture since ancient Egypt till nowadays, so we will let you know about the major holidays in March and the traditions that you can experience while you are in Egypt at this time.
Egyptians celebrate a festival in a traditional way
Ramadan The Holy Month
Ramadan’s date is changeable every year according to the Muslim lunar year, as it’s in the ninth month of it. This holy month is about fasting, praying, and making other religious habits to commemorate the revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet Mohammed. Ramadan in 2025 in Egypt will start from February 28th to March 29th during the month; Muslims stop eating during the daylight and break their fasting in the sunset to have their “Iftar” meal. Also, they have another meal in their day, which is “Suhour,” as the Sohour meal is at dawn before the sunrise, meanwhile they can eat liberally between these two meals.
Egyptian woman enjoys Ramadan vibes in Cairo
Cultural Practices
- Fasting and its importance: Fasting in Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which is something sacred for Muslims. If unable to fast due to illness, traveling, or a medical condition wherein fasting would cause harm, charity or fasting days after Ramadan are required. Also, fasting makes a spiritual feeling for Muslims that they get closer to God. As per the medical aspect, fasting has been proven to slow down aging, prevent the development of diabetes, thyroid disorders, hypertension, and heart disease, as well as increase the chances of a long and healthy life. It also causes weight loss. A healthy body weight automatically translates to healthier joints and a great body image.
- Traditional Iftar meals and customs: While you are in Egypt during Ramadan, you will smell the delicious food everywhere as most people cook traditional food and desserts. Muslims usually break their fast with dates and milk as its Sunna of Prophet Mohamed, then they enter the main course, which is local dishes like Mahsi, Molokhyia, Fattah, and other dishes along with fresh juice and water to hydrate their body after fasting. After Iftar, many people like to have Ramadan traditional desserts like Kunafa and others. When they finish eating, most people usually spend the time between Iftar and Sohor meals praying and reading Quaran. You will see them going to mosques to pray in traditional customs; as for men, they wear garments, and women wear long garments with hijab.
Muslims pray in the Mosque during Ramadan
Celebrations and Events
- Local traditions during Ramadan: There are a lot of traditions that people follow in this holy month, like disturbing food, drinks, clothes, money, and other things to the poor. Also, some people set Iftar tables at the streets, whether for poor people or neighborhood gatherings. As for gatherings, this month is well-known for that; most people usually spend the first 10 days of the month for family gatherings and keep inviting each other for Iftar meals. In addition, there are other religious traditions, like the Traweh prayer, which is after the Iftar meal in the mosques, and Zakat El-Fiter, which is supposed to be given to poor people before the end of the month. At the end, you find this month is full of charity work and giving.
- Special events: Most mosques make events to memorize the Quran and teach the Islam principles, especially for children. Also, some people like to volunteer in charity work and events. Traveling to Saudi Arabia for making Ummra is also a common thing that Muslims like to do in Ramadan to get closer to Allah.
Egyptian streets during Ramadan
How To Respectfully Engage With Ramadan Traditions?
Visiting Egypt during Ramadan is a different experience, as you will see the streets are decorated with Islamic traditional patterns, watch the locals doing their interesting activities, and feel the great vibes of this sacred month. However, there are many things you need to consider to engage easily with these vibes, like dressing properly and trying not to eat or drink in the streets during the daytime. Also, you can attend Iftar with a local Egyptian family or a local restaurant to live the experience.
Recommended Places To Experience Iftar and Suhoor
We recommend you experience the local restaurants to try the traditional local food for this month. You also can maintain to have traditional dishes with good views, as there are many Egyptian restaurants overlooking touristic sites such as the Giza Pyramids.
Things you don’t know about Ramadan:
- Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
- Children, pregnant women, ill people, and elderly people aren’t expected to fast.
- Adults must pay Zakat al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan, which is a contribution to support poor people.
- Muslims consider fasting in Ramadan a fixed part of their religious beliefs. Before dawn, people have their suhoor meal. Then they break their fasting be iftar meal.
- During Ramadan, some offices and companies in Muslim-majority countries shut early.
- During the last 10 days of Ramadan, Muslims commemorate the night that the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. celebrate, which is the Laylat Al Qadr, the most sacred night.
- You can express well wishes for Ramadan by saying in Arabic “Ramadan Kareem” or “Ramadan Mubarak.”.
- After Ramadan, on Eid-al-Fitr, the greeting changes to “Eid Mubarak.”
- Ramadan doesn’t have fixed dates, as the lunar calendar is used to determine the exact start and end dates of Ramadan each year. Every year, Ramadan begins earlier than the year before. This also affects the length of the fast and will mean a lot shorter fasts when Ramadan falls in the winter.
- Muslims usually break their fast with dates and milk as their Sunna of Mohamed.
Mother’s Day in Egypt
- Significance in Egyptian Culture: Many people consider Mothers Day as a Western holiday, but it actually has Egyptian origins as people in ancient Egypt worshipped the goddess Isis who personized the Egyptian wife and mother. The worship of Isis fan out from the Delta region throughout all over Egypt. The history of Egyptians is full of examples about respecting mothers.
- How It’s Celebrated: Mother’s Day in Egypt is annually celebrated on March 21. Most Egyptians like to celebrate this day by giving their mother, mothers-in-law or any woman they are concerned about a valuable gift to express their gratitude to this woman in life. Some people like to go out on this day to celebrate as well with their beloved ones.
- Gift Ideas and Traditions: Many people tend to buy households chores as a gift to their mothers; however, the young generation tend to buy fashion staff as gifts. Also, people need to say great words with giving the gift as a tradition thing to express their love.
Eid Al-Fitr
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Definition and Timing
“Eid al-Fitr” is “festival of breaking the fast” in English, which is an Islamic feast marking the end of Ramadan, the sacred month of fasting when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk every day. It is the beginning of time that Muslims can eat during daylight hours after fasting during Ramadan. It is celebrated in the first three days of Shawwal month (the tenth month of the Islamic calendar or Lunar calendar), so the time of Eid El Fitr changes every year accordingly, as the lunar calendar has 354 days in a year while the solar calendar has 365 days in a year.
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Religious Observances
Eid Al-Fitr starts when the moon is full and seen completely; the day begins by praying Eid Al Fitr Prayer, then kids start playing in the street with new toys, then they head to their home to put on their new clothes that their parent’s bought especially for the Eid, as it’s traditional way to celebrate for Muslims to buy new clothes for the kids in every Eid.
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Festivities and Traditions
There are many traditional habits that people make in Eid, such as Edeya, which is a habit that grownup people do by giving money to the children of their family, friends, and neighbors. In Eid El Fitr most people eat “Kahk” in their breakfast, which is a traditional dessert with a power sugar in the above of it; they also eat “ghorayaba and betefour,” which are traditional desserts made especially for Eid; there is also the Eid Biscuit, as people like to dip it in the tea (Shai) or the tea with milk (Shai Belaban) then eat it.
After eating Kahk, ghorayaba, biscuits, and Betefour on their breakfast, people usually go to visit their family; mostly all the family gets together in the grandparents’ house to set together, talk, and laugh, while kids play with each other and have their Edeya. It’s a happily family day when people wait for it the whole year and take these days off to enjoy their Eid.
10 things you don’t know about Eid El Fir:
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- Muslims break their fast of Ramadan from the beginning of Eid El Fitr.
- All Muslims begin their Eid with Eid El Fitr Prayer.
- Most Muslims get new clothes to celebrate Eid El Fitr.
- Adults usually give Edeya (money) to the kids of their family.
- There is a special traditional dessert called Kahk El Eid to eat in Eid El Fitr along with biscuits, betefour, and ghorayaba with tea.
- Most people like to visit their family and friends.
- At night some families go out together; that’s why the streets in Eid El Fitr are usually crowded.
- Eid El Fitr is always off-days in Muslim countries.
- Eid El Fitr is at the first three days of Shawaal month (the tenth month in the lunar calendar).
- The date of Al-Eid changes from year to year as the moon has to be full and well seen.
Traveling in March
Traveling in March to Egypt is one of the best things you can do to experience new culture and explore different traditions that you can really get to know while enjoying cool weather and outstanding sites that you can only see in Egypt, like the Great Pyramids of Giza, ancient temples, and tombs to witness the greatest civilization ever. Also, chilling out at the Red Sea‘s beaches is a lifetime experience to see the crystal water and do a lot of adventurous activities such as diving, snorkeling, and safari in the desert to enjoy the beautiful nature of Egypt.
Conclusion
March is one of the best months of the year that you can choose to go to Egypt, as you will have a breathtaking experience that you won’t regret for many reasons. The weather comes as the first one, as it’s a sunny and warm month, which gives the opportunity for visitors and locals to enjoy outdoor activities and tours.
