Holiday in Egypt

Re “It’s no winter wonderland,” Dec. 13

Your article reports that Cairo is “no winter wonderland.”

My wife and I lived in Egypt and celebrated four Christmases there. We bore in mind that the Egyptian environment is not unlike the area where Christ was born. The Holy Land is not known for reindeer, sleighs, elves and snow-covered pines. (The celebration of a candle-lit tree originated with pagan tree-worshipers. The tradition was popularized in England by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s German husband.)

Egyptian villagers in their turbans and long robes, herding donkeys and goats, would not have looked out of place in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago -- not nearly as out of place as Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. Christmas in Egypt is still Christmas.

Gordon Riess

Beverly Hills