Welcome to the Land of the Pyramids?

How well do you know the Christmas story? What happened AFTER the manger and the angels and shepherds and wise men? Do you know? An angel came to Joseph in a dream and warned of Herod's mission to find and kill the Child. Joseph packed everyone up then and there and headed to Egypt.

Today we are headed to Egypt ourselves. I was wondering how much of this part of the Christmas story would be recognized or if it had been dominated by the addition of Islam to the religious landscape. It turns out that there is still a very strong Christian presence and therefore Christmas is actually a very prominent celebration.

Something I was not aware of is that the Church in Egypt (called the Coptic Church) is a branch of the Catholic Church but they recognize St. Mark as their founder rather than St. Peter. The Church does not celebrate Christmas on December 25th however. They recognize January 7th as Christmas instead. The holiday is a long and very festive season in Egypt because of the visit of the Holy Family.

In some cities there are complete streets of shops that dedicate thier wares to Christmas this time of year. One particular item that was mentioned on several websites caught my eye (this one is for you J Jiggety!) Apparently there is such a thing as a belly dancing Santa! Try as I might I couldn't find one but please know that I put a lot of effort into it!

Christmas services are held at midnight followed by the ringing of the church bells. Part of the celebration includes a period of fasting daily. When Egyptians eat in the evenings they are only allowed foods that have no animal source (no meat, fish, milk, or eggs). After the Christmas midnight service they go home for a feast including meat and rice called "fatta."

Decorations are heavy with candles and lanterns in tribute to Joseph who legend tells lit candles to warm Mary the night of the Nativity. Another bit of interest for me was that the Christmas holiday is actually a heavy tourist season. In the early 20th century European families would vacation in Egypt for the warmer climate. The hotels however went out of their way to create a Christmas feel with artificial snow and trees. The guests would dress to the nines and celebrate with grand parites. The tourism continues today but maybe without all the snow and trees.

Eid (remember Chris's tour yesterday?) is also celebrated by the Muslim population in the country. But the interesting aspect to me is that the two celebrations are held siultaneously and peacefully. Something to think about!

How is your Portugese?

Here we go to visit Brazil - one of only three countries in the world that speak Portugese. And now we are officially below the equator. So let's test your geography - what season is it in Brazil in December? Winter? Nope! It's actually summer! Imagine Christmas with temperatures in the 70's or warmer.

Since it is so warm in Brazil for Christmas, Papai Noel (Santa) has to make a little change. Instead of a fur or wooly coat and suit he gets to don a silk suit and might even get rid of his hat if a silk one isn't available.

A tradition that I found in my research is the amigo secreto (secret friend). At the beginning of December friends and family pull names and send correspondence and encouragement to that person under a pseudonym through out the holiday season. On Christmas the gather to exchange gifts and reveal their identity to their amigo.

Brazil has been home of many different cultures so many of the traditions are shared with the rest of the world. The large Roman Catholic population is known to attend a midnight mass known as Missa de Galo (The Rooster's Mass) which doesn't end until 1 AM! And it is still followed by a large meal - not something that is common any other time of the year. Traditional dishes are taken from all over the world with turkey, ham, rice and lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Even some German and Italian dishes have been known to make it to the festive table.

And yet another surprise for me on my trip around the world this holiday season. If you had told me I could have Italian on Christmas in Brazil I would have called you a liar! A million thank you's to those of you who have been my travelling companions. Here's to many more surprises and lessons along the way to the holiday!