New Years is a fixed celebration where we make resolutions that we usually never remember two months after. New Year is celebrated all over the world, but surprisingly the festivities go beyond the partying.  The parties all over Cairo grab our attention, but what if we do something else and eat 12 grapes, fight people, break dishes or walk around the house with a suitcase?

It’s about time to go all out and have an international celebration with the coolest, weirdest and most outrageous traditions that bring luck, husbands and good fortune! Here’s a quick list of the coolest ones from all over the world.  

Spain – Eat Grapes!

Since 1985, the Spanish try to fit 12 grapes in their mouths before midnight and eat them all for prosperity and good luck. Fancy trying that?

Greece – Hang onions on your door and break a pomegranate

The Greeks hang onions on their doors as symbol of rebirth in the coming year. The fun part is, parents wake their children up by hitting them with an onion on their head. If you’re not into looking like you’re warding off vampires, break a pomegranate on your doorstep before entering your house for good luck and prosperity. 

Estonia – Eat eat eat

This ritual isn’t for the faint hearted! Eat up to seven, nine or twelve meals to gain strength for the following year like they do in Estonia. Leave the meal unfinished for the spirits or ancestors who visit the house to enjoy New Year too!        




Denmark – Break dishes at your friend’s doors to make more friends!

Take a stack of dishes and pass around your friend’s houses on New Year’s Eve, breaking them at their doorstep. This Danish tradition is supposed to bring more friends. Pretty aggressive if you ask us!

Philippines – Fill your room with round things!

Get the cash flowing by surrounding yourself with round items such as stress balls, oranges or t-shirts that have a round shape. Filipinos believe that the round items bring on more coins.  

Romania – Throw your spare coins in the river

Just pass by the Nile River and make it rain!  

Ecuador – Burn everything

The pyromaniac in you can now rest. Make a life-size dummy made of newspapers, pieces of wood that represents misfortunes and burn it in the street along with any photos you want to get rid of.  

Japan – Smile and Ring Bells

This is a more peaceful approach for those of you who’d like to chill on New Year’s Eve. In Japan, Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times to welcome Toshigami, the New Year’s God. They clean their home and send ‘thank you’ cards to their loved ones and also smile at everyone the whole day.

Ireland – Summon a husband!

This is for all the single ladies. Put mistletoe leaves under your pillow to summon husbands and have a better future in finding life partners. The Irish superstition doesn’t end there; they believe that if a tall, dark, handsome man enters after the 31st into your home, you will be a lucky gal. If it’s a red headed woman, you’ll be in a lot of trouble. Good thing that there aren’t many gingers in Egypt!




Peru – Fight people to settle differences

Now’s the time for your kickboxing classes to come in handy.  Settle your differences and start the year on a new note by physically fighting against the people you have grudges against. This aggressive yet quite intriguing ritual is done in small villages in Peru.  

Argentina – Eat beans and walk around with a suitcase at home

Forget the 2018 countdown. Spend your New Year’s Eve by eating beans and carrying a suitcase around the house to have a more generous year and travel more.  

Make the mall your winter wonderland with these fun-filled activities  

Festive family fun at the malls in the Middle East

Each year the shopping malls in Dubai and further across the Middle East transform into a winter wonderland filled with Santa’s Grottos, festive decorations and elaborate towering trees decked with baubles and candy. Whether you’re heading on a day out with little ones or want to get into the festive spirit, the malls in December are certainly a sight to see.

From zipping down the snowy slops at Ski Dubai to the heart-warming family Christmas movie to watch at the cinema, here we present the best experiences to ring in the festive season at the mall.

Fun In The Snow

Ski Dubai in Mall of the Emirates

Feel the spirit of the holiday with a trip to Ski Dubai in Mall of the Emirates.
One of the top attractions in Dubai for the whole family, Ski Dubai is a true winter wonderland (in the heart of the desert) with 22,500 square meters of snow-covered terrain and 5 slopes of varying difficulty for skiers and snow boarders. The Dubai snow park also offers ski and snowboard lessons for all levels, from discovery to competition level.  

Whether you want to simply slide around in the -4 degrees snow, play with the Ski Dubai penguins or try your hand at one of the many entertainment options, which include bobsledding, tubing, tobogganing, climbing walls, zorbing, snow bumpers and much more, Ski Dubai has it all.

Ski Dubai is located on the ground floor of Mall of the Emirates.

The Christmas Movie

The best film to watch at the cinema in December

Round up the troops and treat your family to a movie night at the mall. With numerous locations within the City Centres across the Middle East, including the largest cinema in the region at Mall of the Emirates, VOX Cinemas is one of the top places to visit in Dubai.

November 30th will see the release of Daddy’s Home 2 - a family comedy starring Mel Gibson, Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell. The story follows a father and stepfather who band together to make Christmas time perfect for their children. Their newfound friendship is soon tested when intrusive family members arrive to shake things up. Fans of the first film will be pleased to see lots more laugh-out-loud moments as the family dynamics gone awry.

Be sure to call ahead to check out screen times in your nearest VOX Cinema at either Mall of the Emirates of City Centre locations.

Book your tickets to November’s biggest film releases!

The top films to watch at Vox cinemas

Get ready for a month of mega entertainment at VOX Cinemas this month as some of Hollywood’s most long-awaited films finally hit the big screen.

VOX Cinemas has numerous locations within the City Centres across the Middle East, including the largest cinema in the region at Mall of the Emirates. One of the best places to visit in Dubai, it also has the UAE’s first IMAX laser screen plus a VOX 4DX auditorium and The ThEATre by Rhodes – a luxurious experience with plush reclining seats, first class service and gourmet cuisine created by famous chef Gary Rhodes. Each dish will be cooked fresh and delivered straight to your seat to enjoy while you watch.

Scroll down below to see our pick of the top three must-watch movies over the coming weeks:

Suburbicon

Suburbicon stars Matt Damon and Julianne Moore

Welcome to Suburbicon - a peaceful, seemingly idyllic neighbourhood with beautiful homes and impossibly neat lawns. But all is not what it appears to be, as the Lodge family soon discover the dark secrets masking the town’s perfect facade. Set in the 1950s, the black comedy was directed by George Clooney and stars award-winning actors including Matt Damon, Julianne Moore and Oscar Isaac.

Release date: 2nd November

Murder On The Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express starring Johnny Depp

From best-selling author, Agatha Christie comes the remake of this classic tale. After a gruesome murder, a group of strangers stranded on the train must figure out who the killer is before it’s too late. With lead roles played by Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Daisy Ridley, this crime/mystery film will give moviegoers a thrilling and suspense ride.

Release date: 9th November

Justice League

Justice League is set to be a superhero film of epic proportions

With an all-star cast featuring your favourite superheroes (including Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot in her Wonder Woman role and Aquaman played by Jason Momoa), this hotly anticipated blockbuster will no doubt reign at the box office. Comic book and action fans will be on the edge of their seats as Bruce Wayne and his newfound ally, Diana Prince, recruit a team of heroes to join forces in fighting a powerful enemy. 

Release date: 16th November

At the Mall of Egypt, Halloween will be anything but mediocre. The best elements of the gruesome holiday will all come together in the mall for kids and adults to equally enjoy; that means candy, decorations, activities, live shows, treat or treating, costumes and prizes.
The celebrations will run through starting from the middle of the month until the end of it.

Here’s what we have in store for you and your families:

Bazaar Booths

A range of bazaar booths with candies, Halloween accessories, toys, costumes and decorations to take a little Halloween to your own homes.

When: 12th to 31st of October
Where: Ski Egypt Area


Trick or Treat

Help your children bring out the best of their Halloween selves in the mall. The first 300 children that enter the mall dressed up will receive an excellent bag filled with candy. Children will be able to go around and fill their pumpkin barrels with scrumptious candy from all participating stores indicated with a Halloween wreath on their doors.

When: 12th to 31st of October
Where: Inside the Mall


Kids Activities Area

Watch your children turn into monsters, decorate pumpkins, levitate and cast the spell at the Kids activities area. Kids can decorate themselves with make-up and Halloween props to turn into Halloween scares. They can also learn how to decorate foam pumpkins and take them home to scare their neighbours. Since no amount of candy is ever enough, bring your kids to the Cast a Spell, where they toss rings onto witch hats and gather points to win more candy! Catch a quick souvenir of the day and take a picture of them levitating on the Levitating Witches Photo Op.

When: 18th to 31st of October
Weekends: 1PM – 12AM
Weekdays: 3PM - 10PM
Where: Ski Egypt Area




The Impossible Tunnel

The Impossible Tunnel is impossible to miss! Move through a tunnel and enjoy the rush of adrenaline. We don’t want to give too much away!

When: 19th of October to 31st of October
Weekends: 1PM – 12AM
Weekdays: 3PM - 10PM
Where: Ski Egypt Area - 2nd floor


Hotel Transylvania Live Show

For the first time in Egypt, the live show rendition of the 3D computer-animated fantasy comedy film Hotel Transylvania is coming to Mall of Egypt. Children can meet and greet their favourite characters to conclude their scare-filled experience.

When: 26th to the 31st of October
Where: The Valley Area

You will not want to miss these hotly anticipated films on in the cinema this month.

There’s a whole host of action-packed new flicks to enjoy at VOX Cinemas.

VOX Cinemas has numerous locations within the City Centres across the Middle East, including the largest cinema in the region at Mall of the Emirates. One of the best places to visit in Dubai, it also boats the UAE’s first IMAX laser screen plus a VOX 4DX auditorium and The ThEATre by Rhodes – a luxurious experience with plush reclining seats, first class service, and gourmet cuisine created by famous chef Gary Rhodes. Each dish will be cooked fresh and delivered straight to your seat to enjoy while you watch.

Scroll down below to see our pick of the top three must-watch movies…

IT

A seriously creepy remake of the classic horror film, Stephen King’s IT tells the terrifying tale of a corrupt clown (played by the talented Bill Skarsgård) as he hunts a group of kids. The movie smashed industry records with the third largest opening weekend of 2017. However, be warned, you’ll need a manicure post movie if you are a nervous nail biter – it is certainly a tense watch.

The Hitman's Bodyguard

With an all-star cast including Salma Hayek, Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L Jackson, and Gary Oldman, this action/comedy follows a top protection agent who must guard his mortal enemy, the world's most notorious hitman. Expect plenty of explosions, fight scenes and even a few laughs along the way.

The Beguiled

The long-awaited new film from director Sofia Coppola (of Marie Antoinette and The Bling Ring fame) has finally hit the big screen. Starring Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning, The Beguiled tells a tale of jealousy, betrayal, and revenge as a group of students take in a wounded Union soldier (played by Colin Farrell) during the American Civil War.


Visit VOX Cinemas at Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Ajman, City Centre Fujairah, City Centre Deira, City Centre Mirdif, City Centre Muscat, City Centre Qurum, City Centre Beirut, City Centre Al Shindagha, and Mall of Egypt.

Yes, we’ve all heard about how magical snow dropped on some homes in Cairo when the weather got overwhelmingly cold, but not to the point where we could’ve skied at any point.

Now that has changed. A new North Pole has welcomed its way into Africa. All you have to do is drive to Ski Egypt, Mall of Egypt’s newest attraction spot for those who are Eskimos at heart and can’t find their place in the scorching Egyptian sun.

With Ski Egypt’s new 7,700 square metres snow-filled ski resort, it’s time to throw snowballs, learn how to ski and slide down 30-metre long tube runs.

The experience is for everyone. Kids and adults can enjoy an icy, adrenaline-charged experience with ski slopes, a snow play area, snowboarding, and bobsleds. Can’t ski or snowboard? Learn how to with a group or private lessons by our professional ski and snowboard instructors. You can even buy your own personal gear at the Ski Egypt store and take your skills to the next level.

For those of you who are still snow shy, you can get into a huge air-filled Zorb ball and roll on the speed ramp or get into a bobsled and feel the adrenaline (along with the cold).

Got tired of the workout? Warm your senses with a creamy hot chocolate at the Snowflake Café designed with a beautiful Alpine theme from the highest point of the ski slopes as you watch your family slide through the angel-white blankets.

Therefore, if you want to slide, slip, throw, ride and feel the winter sensation all year round, Ski Egypt is your new go to destination.

For more information visit:

Website: https://www.skiegy.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skiegypt
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ski.egypt

Alternatively, you call Ski Egypt on 01000257509