Monday, December 03, 2007

Gearing up for Christmas in Cairo

Are you feeling all homesick and nostalgic that you are far away from home during the Holiday Season ? Are you loking for ways to get into the Christmas mood but just not feeling it ? Well just slip in some Christmas Carols on your music/CD/MP3 player and read on for some easy ways to get into the mood right here in Cairo.

1. Joy to the World
Volunteer at one of the charity organisations or Donate money, time, clothes
Resala Charities (Teaching children, dictating books on tape for the blind, delivering food to the needy, orphanage) info@resala.org
Refugee Ministry of St Andrews www.standrewschurchcairo.com
Spirit of Giving Catalog of the St Johns' church in Maadi : www.maadichurchstjohn.org/catalog

2. Silver Bells
Contribute while having fun and shopping at the many charity Christmas Bazaars & Auctions
1st December - Womens Association Annual Bazaar at Nile Hilton Gardens 11am-4pm
4th, 5th December - Elegant Whisper : Exclusive Christmas Exhibition At Kattameya Heights Club House
7th December - Maadi Womens Guild Christmas Bazaar, Wadi Degla Club, 12-4pm
7th December - Swiss Club Christmas Bazaar 2007, 11am-6pm
14th December - YWCA bazaar at the Jesuites Petit College School, Salah Salem Street

3. Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Go Carolling or listen to Carollers
3rd, 4th December - Community Choir of Maadi Christmas Concert held at St. John's Church
11th December - BCA Mohandaseen
13th December - BCA Heliopolis
Form your own group and rehearse in advance to sing at all those parties you will be invited to.

4. Winter Wonderland
A lot of clubs and hotels are working hard to recreate a Christmas wonderland here in Cairo.
Attend Christmas eve dinners, Christmas lunches and Christmas Balls
30th November - CPW (Cairo Petroleum Wives) Winter Wonderland Community Dinner Dance at Sofitel Maadi
4th December - MBA Traditional English Christmas lunch from 10.45am at the Four Seasons in Giza
4th to 14th December - "Chocofest Cairo 4" Chocolate Festival at El Sawy
6th December - Christmas Disco Party at Cairo Rugby Club
7th December - BCA Heliopolis 2nd Annual Christmas Ball at Mariott Hotel, Zamalek (500LE all inclusive)
Check out the 5 star hotels in-house events & make sure you book early to avoid disappointment.

5. I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas
Nostalgic for snow and a fresh fir tree ? Enjoy being in a different country & climate and Shop for Christmassy stuff with an Egyptian touch.
Try and pick up some local flavour for your tree this season and as gifts for people back home. Have u seen the lovely blown glass christmas tree ornaments decorated in intricate designs all over the khan ? Or the stuffed camel Christmas ornaments? Try the Fair Trade centre in Zamalek or Mido Glass on Road 9 in Maadi if you aren't in the mood to brave the Khan.

6. We Three Kings of Orient Are
Take in a show/pageant with the 3 kings or the Nutcracker or even Dorothy
9th December - Maadi Community Church has its Christmas Pageant.
10, 11, 12 of December - Modern English School is putting on "The Wiz"
12th December - Mendelssohn's Elijah - Cairo Choral Society - Ewart Hall
13th December - Mendelssohn's Elijah - Cairo Choral Society - All Saints Cathedral
15th December - Christmas Pageant at St Johns Church, Maadi

7. Let it Snow
Don't want to step foot outside in the maddenning traffic, then pop some corn & Curl up with a DVD that suits your Christmas Disposition
Miracle on 34th Street
How the Grinch stole Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Christmas Carol

8. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Take your kids (or the neighbours kids or your friends kids) to a party.
Having kids along helps you enjoy Christmas from a pre-jaded perspective.
1st Dec - Maadi British Association childrens Christmas party at ACE Club. 1-3pm
7th December - Swiss Club Christmas Bazaar 2007 with Santa.
15 Dec BCA Mohandaseen
22nd-24th December - Meet Santa at Diwan.

9. Oh Come all ye Faithful
Attend a mass/service at one of the many churches around town.
Most of them are multi denomination, so attend a service in a different language or denomination and do your bit for better global understanding, tolerance and harmony.
Try the All Saints Cathedral, Zamalek Holy Family Catholic Church, Maadi St Claires Catholic Convent, Heliopolis Maadi Community Church

For more up-to-date and detailed information on events sign up to whazzupcairo on yahoogroups or googlegroups by sending a blank mail to whazzupcairo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or whazzupcairo-subscribe@googlegroups.com

1 comment:

That Guy said...

It's so bizarre how christmas has become more of a big deal here! I remember when i was a kid christmas didnt mean crap here, but now we got all this AND Nile FM blasting out crappy christmas tracks 24/7!!

Um...i'm a bit of a scrooge i guess...

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