Celebrating Christmas in Egypt
Did you know that Christmas in Egypt is celebrated on January 7 each year? I didn't either until I got to celebrate this holiday when I was living in Dahab, Egypt in 2012. Why is Christmas in Egypt on January…
Sukkot in Israel – A Joyful (and Potentially Humorous) Jewish Holiday
The Jewish holiday of Sukkot arrives in October each year, immediately following the Yom Kippur holiday. This is one of the many Jewish holidays that Jewish people understand and enjoy while the rest of the world has no clue. My…
Experiencing Yom Kippur in Tiberias, Israel as a Non-Jew
It is like Christmas, said the man in the shop. I was in a small market in Tiberias, Israel buying a few groceries just before the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur in 2011. The man who spoke this sentence did…
The Holiday of Eid al Adha – How the Middle East Celebrates
This is the time of the holiday Eid al Adha in the Muslim world and it takes place on a different date every year. Most of the Western world has never heard of this holiday, so here, with the help…
How Do They Celebrate Eid al-Fitr in Yemen?
Eid al-Fitr - have you ever heard of it? Eid al-Fitr is a Muslim holiday that is the same yet different in every country. Here a friend of Connect the Cultures describes how this holiday is celebrated in his village in Yemen. Yemen…