The interesting piece in how Egyptian Copts celebrate Epiphany is that it is sometimes more aligned with the traditions of Good Friday that take place before Easter. The Egyptian Copts celebrate Epiphany in a more solemn way than other cultures do in that they emphasize a day of strict fasting, blessings of the waters and houses, and perform numerous baptisms. To mark the beginning of our journey, we are heading to Egypt to learn how the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany.

Orthodox Arab Christians: Egyptian Coptics, Antiochian Orthodox, and Assyrian Orthodox Churches: Egyptian Coptic Christians: Photo: Bishoy’s Blog To start off our journey, we will learn about the traditions of Orthodox Arab Christians. We will be exploring the cultural customs of the Arab Christian Orthodox, Catholics, and some of the religious minorities as well within the Arab world. It is now time to embark on our journey to learn about the traditions of this exciting holiday. This tradition is mainly practiced in the Levante region. They all get dipped in homemade syrup to signifying the dipping of Christ in the Jordan River for baptism. In addition, usually, pancakes get stuffed with nuts, sugar, and cinnamon and are also fried in the shape of a half-moon (Katayef). Moreover, the holiday is remembered not only by the ceremonial church services but also by the sweets prepared for this occasion, mainly dough fried in different shapes (Zalabieh/Awwameh/Moshabbak). We will now be embarking on a journey to explore the cultural customs and festivities of how Epiphany is celebrated around the Arab Christian world.Įpiphany is celebrated in numerous different ways, but the common festivities include water activities, baptismal rites (as the above picture shows), and house blessings. Epiphany is also known as Three Kings’ Day, Twelfth Night, or even Theophany in many cultures. Perhaps, you are asking, what is Epiphany, do we know it by other names? How is it celebrated? Epiphany is the holiday in Arab Christianity that celebrates the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River and the appearance of the Holy Spirit. January 6, 2021, is the holiday of Epiphany in the Arab Christian world. By: Claire Boyle / Arab America Contributing Writer

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