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Egypt uses 3 calendars: Gregorian calendar,
Hegra calendar (Islamic) and Coptic calendar, and for that reason
dates of holidays vary from one year to another. (Please, check Useful
Phrases section for list of months for each calendar).
Following are the holidays effective for the year 2004:
|
Holiday
|
Date
|
| New Year's Day |
1 January |
| Coptic Christmas |
7 January |
| Eid El-Adha (Bairam)* |
1 - 4 February |
| Islamic New Year* |
21 February |
| Coptic Easter* |
11 April |
| Sham El-Nessim (Smell the Brease)* |
12 April |
| Sinai Liberation Day |
25 April |
| Labor Day |
1 May |
| Mulid En-Nabi (Prophet's Birthday)* |
2 May |
| 1952 Revolution Anniversary |
23 July |
| October War Anniversary |
6 October |
| Holy Month of Ramadan starts* |
16 October |
| Eid El-Fetr (Bairam)* |
14 - 16 November |
| Christmas (Western) |
25 December |
| * Those
are variable holidays whose dates vary from one year to another |
All governmental offices close at these days including the post office.
Friday is the country's weekend and almost all government offices
close at that day. Banks, embassies, insurance companies and some
private businesses close on Saturdays in addition to Fridays. Some
other government offices close on Thursdays. Shops and some private
businesses close on Sundays. It's pretty confusing, but you should
find no trouble dealing with this.
Working hours are from 9 am to 4 or 5 PM approximately. These hours
always shrink during Ramadan, the holy month of Moslems. Ramadan
will begin this year on October 16th and end on November 13th.
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