By Engy Magdy, Special to The Tablet

CAIRO — For Coptic Christians in Egypt, Christmas is celebrated somewhat differently than it is in most of the world, although some traditions are the same.

Perhaps the biggest difference is the date of Christmas. Coptic Christians, like many Orthodox Christians, celebrate Christmas two weeks after the majority of Christians around the world. This Christmas, Copts will celebrate the birth of Christ on Jan. 7.

The difference goes back to 1582 when the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches started to use different calendars…

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