Abu Haggag Moulid

Tonight I was out and about in Luxor. I met a friend who arrived in Luxor yesterday at the Nile Palace and we were joined by a couple more friends.
After a coffee and a natter, we headed out to watch the stickfighting taking place not far from the Emilio Hotel, heading towards the back of town.
The streets were manic, with cars, buses, motorbikes and people dressed up in their best clothes milling around everywhere. The streets were lined with stalls selling all the lovely sweet goodies available at festival times, music and fairy lights everywhere!
We didn't actually go anywhere near the main Abu Haggag square, but the friends who joined us had passed there on the way to the Nile Palace and said it was heaving with families enjoying the feast night!
Eventually we arrived at our destination and headed off to watch the stickfighting, pushing our way to the front of the crowd so that we had a good view! Amazing stuff! The stick fighters come from all over the Luxor Governorate for this event!
Once we had enough of the crowds, we headed to a nearby coffee shop for a cuppa, and then went back to our friends apartment where we enjoyed the rest of the evening chatting on the roof terrace.
Finally we walked back down towards the Emilio Hotel to find a taxi to take us back home. I was dropped off on the Corniche to take a motor boat back to my side of the river and my friend was taken back to the Nile Palace.
Tomorrow is the Feast Day of Abu Haggag and hopefully my friend will get to see the parade! Arrangements have been made........ very flexible ones as we never know exactly what time the parade will start. But we will be there!!

In the meantime, another friend of mine has blogged about the Feast, its origins and what happens. So I will not repeat what she says, I will just link you to her blog

Abu Haggag Moulid

Hopefully tomorrow I will get photos of the parade!