As the new year begins, Egypt’s Copts, the biggest Christian population in the Middle East, celebrate Orthodox Christmas across the Egyptian capital and against the backdrop of the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. Meanwhile, the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the neighboring Gaza Strip continues to take a cross-border toll on the resilience of the human spirit. For VOA, Cairo photojournalist Hamada Elrasam has the story in pictures. Photo captions by Elle Kurancid.
For Egypt's Coptic Christians, Christmas Comes at a Time of Sacrifice
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Unable to afford a professional painter to spruce up his family's home in time for Christmas, student Abanoub Samaan is determined to do it himself. Materials, he says, are also costly. Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 5, 2024. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
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Yousef Abu Karrass, a grocer, says, “Some of my customers are paying me in instalments for their Christmas meal items. I can’t break the hearts of people in need.” Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 6, 2024. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
![Adel Atta, a baker, says, "While our material costs have doubled and tripled [e.g., wheat, ghee, sugar] since last year, we’re still keeping our prices affordable for our underprivileged neighborhood.” Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 5, 2024. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)](https://gdb.voanews.com/01000000-c0a8-0242-10f2-08dc1041e954_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Adel Atta, a baker, says, "While our material costs have doubled and tripled [e.g., wheat, ghee, sugar] since last year, we’re still keeping our prices affordable for our underprivileged neighborhood.” Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 5, 2024. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
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Abdulsaid Abu Hani, a butcher, says, “We’re struggling to make a profit this Christmas due to an exceptionally low turnout, but we can’t afford to close." Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 5, 2024. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)