Christmas and Easter Sweets in Alexandria

Alexandria celebrates Christmas and Easter twice: Western and Orthodox. A guide to the Greek, Coptic and European sweets that fill the city's tables.

In Alexandria, Christmas and Easter sweets come from several traditions at once: Greek kourabiedes, melomakarona and tsoureki, Coptic kahk, and European yule logs and chocolate eggs. Because Western churches and the Orthodox and Coptic churches often celebrate on different dates, the city's festive season can stretch over weeks.

Two calendars

Catholic and Protestant churches celebrate Christmas on 25 December. The Coptic Orthodox Church, Egypt's largest Christian community, celebrates on 7 January, and that date is a public holiday in Egypt. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria follows its own calendar. Easter dates also differ in most years.

Greek Christmas

Greek families bake kourabiedes, almond butter cookies under a snowfall of sugar, and melomakarona, honey-soaked spiced cookies with walnuts. On New Year's Day, the vasilopita is cut with a coin hidden inside.

Easter

Greek Easter brings tsoureki, a braided sweet bread scented with mahlepi and mastic, often with a red-dyed egg tucked into the braid. Coptic families bake kahk and biscuits for the feast after a long fast. Chocolate eggs and figures cross every tradition.

Sham el-Nessim

The day after Coptic Easter, all Egyptians celebrate Sham el-Nessim, the spring festival, with picnics, coloured eggs and salted fish.

Two Christmases, two Easters, and a full tray at each.

Order early

Festive weeks are busy for every bakery. Place orders for trays and gifts well ahead.

Plan the season with Délices

When your gathering can only have Délices, call us to plan it. For Christmas and Easter sweets and chocolate, ring +20 3 486 1432. We're at 46 Saad Zaghloul Street, Raml Station, open daily 8 AM – 1 AM.