quote:Originally posted by Andy: Do they have such a thing?
they have FOOD Night mare , and also Life Night mare a lot ppl can't eat.
akshar Member # 1680
posted
Hallowen is actually a christian festival. 31st OCT being All Hallows Eve and 1st Nov being All Souls day. Although nothing remains of the root of the celebration(I wonder if Christmas will be like that one day).
So apart from the fact 80-90 % of the country is Muslim and in the middle of Ramadam. I think the Orthodox church would more likely clebrate it as a serious religiois occassion if they celebrate it at all.
------------------ Jane Akshar UK Co-owner of www.flatsinluxor.co.uk Appartments and Tours in Luxor
_ Member # 3567
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In Egypt people usually don't celebrate Helloween. But I remember hotels in Cairo which are entertaining on Helloween night and throwing parties.
[This message has been edited by Tigerlily (edited 28 October 2004).]
Sasy Cat Member # 1250
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Being Christian, October 31st was/is a celebration of the Saints (All Saints day), and November 1st was/is a celebration/recognition of the Dead (All Souls Day). Halloween was not a christian celebration. Rather, it was/is a celebration in the Wicca Religion. (I think it's something to do with the changing of the seasons). In fact, some cities in the US just cancelled Halloween this year as they felt it was politically incorrect to dress-up and be goulish characters - in deferance to the Wicca Religion.
bob the dog Member # 4691
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Akshar, Christmas is already like this in Hurghada!! It was 3 pm before I realised it was Christmas day!! I hate Christmas, so it was great to see it pass me by!!!
TheMark Member # 5541
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by Sasy Cat: [B]Being Christian, October 31st was/is a celebration of the Saints (All Saints day), and November 1st was/is a celebration/recognition of the Dead (All Souls Day).
In Italy the 1st November is All Saints day and the 2nd is All Souls day. Are we different or you made a mistake?
Sasy Cat Member # 1250
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You are correct Mark - my mistake. All Saints is November 1st and All Souls is November 2nd.
foreigngirl Member # 4054
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AT least probably in Italy it is more religious than here in the US. In the US, everything is sooooo commercialized. They take all the religious meanings out of everything. For example, in Spain, Easter is such a serious religious occasion.
quote:Originally posted by Sasy Cat: You are correct Mark - my mistake. All Saints is November 1st and All Souls is November 2nd.
ausar Member # 1797
posted
quote:Hallowen is actually a christian festival. 31st OCT being All Hallows Eve and 1st Nov being All Souls day. Although nothing remains of the root of the celebration(I wonder if Christmas will be like that one day).
No it's not. Halloween might have been subsituted by Christianity when northern/western Europeans converted from their indigenous spirtuality but it's not in anyway connected to Christianity.
The Halloween you see in the United States is a created holiday with the candy and going from door to door. Before this it was a traditional Celtic holiday called Samhain.
The only thing traditional about the American holiday is the lighting of the jack-o-lanterns. This pratice was actually brought to America by Irish immigrants and later people subsituted lighting Turnips with pumpkins. The original pratice was to scare away dead spirits.
quote:Halloween was not a christian celebration. Rather, it was/is a celebration in the Wicca Religion. (I think it's something to do with the changing of the seasons). In fact, some cities in the US just cancelled Halloween this year as they felt it was politically incorrect to dress-up and be goulish characters - in deferance to the Wicca Religion.
Wicca is a created religion that was capitalized to incorporate indigenous European spirtuality. Much like Asatru it only has spirtual basis but not a historical basis. Pre-Christian religions in Europe had no label for their spirtual systems like Abrahmic faiths because of the lack of religious dogma.
The celebration is an ancient Celtic one that was later manipulated and changed into a capitalistic one invovling candy and children.
Druids,Btw, used to sacrifice children on this day.
Sasy Cat Member # 1250
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Good info ausar! Obviously my history lessons don't go back as far as yours. Nice to know the real begining.
loborules Member # 5457
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some of the expats celebrate it ... why dont you visit egypt you have enough questions. It will open your mind and eyes.
Findme1972 Member # 8457
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Hey, Im orginally from the states and have been living in egypt for about 6 months now. And was curious about the whole halloween thing too, kind of miss those commerical holidays .......... My neighbor/friend attends AUC ( american university in Cairo ) and says they sometimes have a halloween celebration, check it out give them a ring. Peace
sonomod Member # 3864
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quote:Originally posted by foreigngirl: AT least probably in Italy it is more religious than here in the US. In the US, everything is sooooo commercialized. They take all the religious meanings out of everything. For example, in Spain, Easter is such a serious religious occasion.
Sorry I find that absolutely insulting.
Reason why things are commercialized here in American is because we aren't afriad to spend money on our children. Hence why unlike Italy we report our income to the revenue service unlike 60% of the income earned in Italy.
Unlike Europe which measures its Church attendance at 15%, 47% of Americans attend Church at least once a month.
And just because Easter is marketed, doesn't mean I didn't have my hide dragged into Church for Easter service and be reminded every day during Lent that the most wonderful child of God, sacrificed himself for my sins!
And yes we have a special service every November 1 to mark "All-Saints Day", my second Lutheran Church was named after it. "All Saints Luthern Church", a permenant reminder that my Christian ancestors are keeping track of my ongoing sin, writting it down and will be ready to hand the list to St. Peter when I reach the pearly gates. Then refute why I deserve hell!
Yes my ancestors have high standards, for the quality of my soul, not wine vintage unlike your ancestors!
Just because Italy is a corruption infested cesspool of poverty doesn't mean you have the right to trash my countries religousity!
But I understand why you feel that way. I don't have the "Princes of the Vatican" here to relieve me of my sins, no those sins I take to the grave and answer for them in FRONT OF GOD!
Thank God I am Protestant!
[This message has been edited by sonomod (edited 23 October 2005).]
rivergod Member # 7082
posted
just in case anyone was interested the dutch bar in hurghada is havin a halloween party on monday 31st oct i will defo be goin with my kids so maybe ill see some of you there
posted
I think the holidays in the US are too commercialized. I am sure that many Americans celebrate the religious aspects of holidays such as Christmas and Easter. But one of the reasons I do not like to celebrate the holidays is because it is one big shopping festival. I can shop without a holiday! The commercialization of holidays is one reason why I have stepped back from my Roman Catholic religious upbringing to explore other belief systems such as Islam.
Whether anyone agrees with me about any of this or not, it is my opinion.
sonomod Member # 3864
posted
quote:Originally posted by Gail: I think the holidays in the US are too commercialized. I am sure that many Americans celebrate the religious aspects of holidays such as Christmas and Easter. But one of the reasons I do not like to celebrate the holidays is because it is one big shopping festival. I can shop without a holiday! The commercialization of holidays is one reason why I have stepped back from my Roman Catholic religious upbringing to explore other belief systems such as Islam.
Whether anyone agrees with me about any of this or not, it is my opinion.
Well I disagree with you whole heartedly.
Because Muslim dominated nations are extremely poor their Eids are not a commercial event.
Yet when a Muslim dominated nation is rich, then the Eids are quite commercial. And I don't consider it a western import.
Read your history of Islamic empires. You'd see that a lot of pomp and splendor were displayed, let alone very excessive consumption during the Eids, especially the Moulids and the Prophet's birthday.
You need to read some history before you make a statement like that.
How do you know that excessive commercialization wasn't imported to Europe's Christiandom during the Renaissance? Many of our enlightened ideas and not so enlightened from the Islamic empire.
Gail Member # 6886
posted
First of all, I offered no opinion about Islam and the Eids.
Second, I do not need to read history in order to know what I see and have observed in my lifetime as related to Catholicism. As I said before, it is my opinion.
Now, if I decide to post an opinion about Islam and its observances, I will, of course, do my research first. As I said in my post, I am "exploring" other belief systems. That means I am currently learning about them. I only commented about the religion under which I was raised, of which I know a great deal.
salaam
newcomer Member # 1056
posted
quote:Originally posted by sonomod: Well I disagree with you whole heartedly.
Because Muslim dominated nations are extremely poor their Eids are not a commercial event.
Yet when a Muslim dominated nation is rich, then the Eids are quite commercial. And I don't consider it a western import.
Read your history of Islamic empires. You'd see that a lot of pomp and splendor were displayed, let alone very excessive consumption during the Eids, especially the Moulids and the Prophet's birthday.
You need to read some history before you make a statement like that.
Just a couple of comments. The festivals that you mentioned don’t actually have a basis in Islam, the Moulids that celebrate the Sufi saints and the celebrations now held for the Prophet’s birthday, were both developed after the time of the Prophet. (The only celebrations that do have an Islamic basis are the two Eids, one after Ramadan and the other after Hajj.)
And, although these occasions aren’t celebrated with the same degree of pomp and splendour now as they were in the past, it has nothing to do with the wealth of the country, as the rich Gulf countries do not celebrate them with extreme commercialism now, but here in Egypt the people still go out and buy toys (western style bride dolls and horses) and cakes that they have related to the celebration of the Prophet’s birthday, and stall are specially erected all over the city just to sell them.
Also Ramadan now has become totally commercialised here, and for many people it has lost its religious meaning. Instead of reducing food consumption and doing extra acts of worship, many people go out partying until late at night, the tv is full of extra soap-operas, the kids are all bought fanous (lanterns), houses are decorated with streamers and lights for the month, and people stuff themselves excessively with special food that is particularly available at this time of year, like nuts and dried fruit.
And then sadly after all that, the actual festival is a very low key event, with the only particular elements of celebration, other than the men and a few women going to the Eid Prayer, are some special cakes and new clothes. But if you try to go shopping in the week leading up to Eid, you will see the same excessive spending and crowds as you see just before Christmas, as if people felt they have to spend even though there is no tradition of giving gifts.
To show how excessive it has all become, I read in the paper a couple of years ago that one woman had actually killed her husband, because he said that he couldn’t afford to buy her nuts and dried fruit that year!!
posted 
, and also Life Night mare a lot ppl can't eat.
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