عيد الميلاد
eid el-miladstandard, Egypt
In Egyptian Arabic, Christmas is عيد الميلاد (eid el-milad), literally "the feast of the birth". In casual talk many people also say كريسماس (krismas).
Meaning: Christian holiday on 25 December or 7 January (noun)
Ways to say it
| Egyptian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| عيد الميلاد | eid el-milad | standard, Egypt |
| كريسماس | krismas | casual, loanword |
The usual greeting is كل سنة وإنت طيب (kol sana w enta tayeb), "every year and you are well". It is also used for other holidays.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Most Egyptian Christians belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church, which celebrates Christmas on 7 January. Many Egyptians of all backgrounds know the date and greet their Christian neighbors on that day.
Did you know?
- In Egypt, 7 January is an official public holiday for Coptic Christmas.
Examples in context
- عيد الميلاد بكرةeid el-milad bokraChristmas is tomorrow.
- هنقضي الكريسماس عند تيتاhane'di el-krismas enned tetaWe will spend Christmas at grandma's.
Example conversation
Mariam wishes her colleague Mina a happy Christmas at work in Cairo on 7 January.
- Mariamكل سنة وإنت طيب يا ميناkol sana w enta tayeb ya minaMerry Christmas, Mina.
- Minaوإنتي طيبة يا مريم، شكراًw enti tayyeba ya mariam, shokranAnd you too, Mariam, thank you.
- Mariamعيد الميلاد مبارك عليكمeid el-milad mubarak aleikumA blessed Christmas to you all.
