Jan. 1, 2017

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Good attitude
Egypt and the Arab World in Canada ,Jan.1, 2017
مصر والعالم العربي في كندا أول يناير 2017
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"It's not the things we get but the hearts we touch that will determine our success in life. Making a difference in the
lives of others is what it is all about. In the end, however, the significance of our life will be determined by the
choices we make. We can choose positive over negative, smiles over frowns, giving over taking and love over hate.
It is only when we take responsibility for our choices that we begin to realize we truly are the masters of our fate.
Only then will our lives begin to change for the better".
How Egyptian Muslims celebrate the birth of Jesus
Maram Aboul Enein
Streets decorated with lights, trees with
garlands and ornaments in most malls
and city centres, people taking pictures
with the tree while Christmas songs
play in the background—this is the
Christmas spirit in Egypt.
Despite commemoration the fact of that the Christmas birth of Jesus, is a
many Muslims share the different festive
rituals of Christmas with Christians.
For many Muslims, decorating
their houses with Christmas trees, having
dinner together on Christmas Eve,
and exchanging gifts with friends are as
essential as buying “Halawet El-
Mouled” (candy distributed to celebrate
the birth of Prophet Muhammad).
Nada Ahmed, 24, feels the importance
of celebrating Christmas, even if she’s
a Muslim. “There’s something magical
about Christmas. It’s not only about
the decorations, trees, or songs. It’s the
holy spirit that we also feel in Ramadan
and Eid. Just a short walk down the
street draws a smile on one’s face and
clears the mind and soul.”
Her celebrations include going out with
friends and having Christmas dinner
while wearing festive clothes.
Celebrating the birth of whom she believes
is a prophet as holy as the one
she believes in is also another reason
that makes her want to live the Christmas-spirit
to the fullest.
“Jesus came seeking justice, love, and
peace; things that our prophet also
called for. How can I not celebrate the
birth of a prophet who came seeking
the same messages as my prophet? Despite
the differences between our religions,
both Christians and Muslims
believe that he’s a miracle, and miracles
deserve to be appreciated and celebrated,”
she added.
“In the end, it’s not about a certain
religion. It’s about the holiness of appreciating
one’s closeness to God, and
expressing love to family and friends,”
Ahmed stated.
As for G.H., 27, she finds that the
Christmas season promotes most of
what she seeks and can’t find in Islamic
festivities, such as serenity and selfconnection.
“Christmas is all about quietness, connecting
to one’s self and family, while
decorating the house, or sitting down to
have Christmas dinner. This is unlike
both Islamic Eids which are usually
connected to noise, the blood of slaughtered
animals, and a huge amount of
food,” she explained.
All of her life, decorating her house and
listening to Christmas songs while
lighting the tree are the most essential
December rituals that can’t be missed.
Dina Kamel, 24, a translator, has been
celebrating Christmas ever since she
was 13. This includes fully decorating
her house, purchasing gifts for her
friends, and listening to Christmas
songs.
“These festive ceremonies are extremely
cheerful. I love celebrating things
generally, and with Christmas, I find
the perfect chance to cheer up and
practise my hobby of decorating my
home,” she said.
From her point of view, as a Muslim,
she believes that Jesus is the prophet of
God, and celebrating the birth of a
prophet is as cheerful, holy, and important
as celebrating the birth of
Prophet Muhammad.
“Christmas is also a chance for me to
exchange gifts with my friends and tell
them how important they are to me,”
she concluded.