Today I write my last article for 2014 and who knows may be my very last one in this life, so before it is too late let me wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year; I know many of you Egyptians have the habit to wish a Happy New Year prior to wishing a Merry Christmas as this in Egypt used to be on the 7th of January meaning New Year comes first!
Let me first reassure the reader that I’m Egyptian; Born in Egypt from Egyptian parents, and yes my mother –R.I.P. - she was of Greek origin, but lived and died in Egypt, moreover she was married to an Egyptian and gave birth to Egyptian children –including myself- so she was by all means Egyptian if not by naturalization then at least by Marriage!
Having said that I have a short comment on the current difference of dates of Christmas -25th December or 7th January- I heard and for sure many of us heard the reason of this discrepancy, and as this is not within the scope of my specializations I have to believe in it until it is proven it is not right or true!
As I heard and read this discrepancy goes back in history when 25th December and 29th Keyak –pronounced Keyak read kehk- in Arabic Letters (كهيك).
This was 2014 years ago, as the world used to follow the Julian Calendar but sometime later when Pope Gregarious was in charge of the Vatican Church and as studies proved that the year, -that is the complete turn around the Sun takes more than 365 days somewhere around 365 + 5 hours + minutes and seconds we round them up a ¼ of a day and every 4 years we adjust this difference to a 29 day February in leap years, but this is still not 100% accurate as we round up minutes and seconds to a whole hour so another correction is due every 400 years to remove 3 accumulated days over time!
This first correction upon Pope Gregarious time generated a difference that was never applied in Egypt as Egyptians were never been told of this correction of time that the world decided to call it the Gregorian calendar!
I recall every 400 years we need to remove 3 days to synchronize time with the rotation of the earth around the Sun, but if the 1st correction was never applied on time in Egypt how are we going to apply it now? Moreover, deducting 3 days from 7th January after the first 400 years would make Christmas on 4th of January then after another 400 years it becomes 1st of January and so on therefore I have to follow the Christian Orthodox Church of Europe not the Catholic one as most Egyptians like to say which is the 25th of December the day Jesus was born!
Once again let me stress on 2 facts which are:
I’m Egyptian!
I’m Christian Orthodox!
However I do celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December every year!
And for all of the above I did chronologically wish Egyptians a Merry Christmas 1st, then a happy New Year 2015!
As a final quote on Christmas in Egypt, I had heard some time ago efforts were taking place to unify Christian Celebrations like Christmas, Eastern, and St. Mary’s August celebrations and many more; however no farther news on this issue or official declarations telling the public what had become those efforts, was it a rumour, efforts faced closed doors or failed?
I seriously wish to see that day were all Christians celebrate an occasion same day!
My Wishes for Egyptians in the New Year 2015.
Priority wise wishes are:
1. Egyptians united to rebuild the country!
2. Religion is private, whatever it is, and remains very private.
3. Our Media need to stay away from religions, it is a private matter!
4. Spiritual help can be in mosques and churches privately!
5. Support our government but in an active way!
6. Do not close your eyes on wrong doing neither participate in wrong doing just expose and keep exposing until correction occurs!
7. Keep always in mind we are all rebuilding this country we are busy, we might not see our errors but it is not our goal to have a sick country!
8. We are just humans we need correction from time to time to see our mistakes!
9. Wrong doing does not mean I’m corrupt means as a human my judgment was wrong!
10. If you do not tell me it was wrong and why, how should I know?
These are not the 10 commandments is just a wish for a better tomorrow for Egypt and Egyptians may God keep blessing them for ever Amen.
