Mohamed Salah has not publicly explained why he shares a Christmas photo each year. Commentators have interpreted the tradition as a gesture of respect for the country where he lives and a way for his daughters to experience another faith and culture; those are explanations offered by others, not reasons Salah has confirmed.
What the annual photo shows
Salah began the tradition in December 2019. In most years, the image has shown him with his wife, Magi, and daughters, Makka and Kayan, in matching pyjamas beside a Christmas tree. The recurring family picture has become a recognizable seasonal post, even though its meaning remains open to interpretation.
Why people think he posts it
Media commentary has framed the photo as a sign of respect toward the country where Salah lives. Another interpretation is that he wants his daughters to enjoy Christmas and learn about other faiths. Supporters often read the post as a message of tolerance and goodwill. None of these explanations has been publicly confirmed by Salah in the sources available.
Why the photo draws criticism
The response reflects differing views among followers, including Muslim fans. Critics argue that celebrating Christmas conflicts with Islamic teaching; others say taking part in the secular, family-oriented side of the season does not make someone less Muslim. This article describes the disagreement without deciding a question of religious doctrine.
#1 Best Overall
- Jacquard knit scarf
- 100 % acrylic
- Approx 132cm x 19cm
- On a header card
- Official licensed product
The reaction has included public defenses as well as social-media criticism. In 2021, Egyptian television host Amr Adib and Al-Azhar professor Saad El-Din El-Hilali defended Salah. In response to the 2024 post, Goal reported anonymous comments including, “We Muslim people look up to you, and you do this in return.” Such comments illustrate some fans’ objections; they do not establish a single Muslim view.
How the posts and reactions have changed
- 2019: Salah shared his first Christmas family photo. It received more than 24,000 Instagram comments, according to a Wikipedia summary of press reports; reactions included both praise for tolerance and claims that celebrating was religiously forbidden.
- 2020: He repeated the family-photo format.
- 2021: The post drew criticism for a third consecutive year, alongside defenses from Adib and El-Hilali.
- 2022: The post was reported as Salah’s most-liked Instagram post of that year, with 3.7 million likes, and his most-commented, with about 122,000 comments. The figures come from Wikipedia’s summary and were not independently verified against Instagram. The comments included criticism, threats to stop supporting Salah or Liverpool, and defenses of participating in the secular side of the holiday season.
- 2023: Some followers urged him in advance not to share a Christmas picture.
- 2024: A family photo beside a tree and a large gingerbread figure drew both criticism and support. Wikipedia’s summary gave his audience at the time as 63.7 million Instagram followers; that is a time-specific figure, not a current follower count.
- 2025: While away with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, Salah shared a photo of his two daughters in front of a tree rather than appearing with them. The caption was “#MerryChristmas,” according to reports on the post.
Engagement counts are snapshots, not fixed measures: they can change, and the figures above are reported summaries rather than independently checked Instagram totals.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is there a “Christmas curse” on Liverpool?
Some fans treat the annual post as a bad-luck omen, but there is no evidence that the photo affects Liverpool’s results. In fact, Liverpool won the Premier League after Salah’s first Christmas photo in 2019. The supposed curse is fan superstition, not a demonstrated cause-and-effect pattern.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Style: Clothing Accessories
- Open Height (mm): 185
- Open Width (mm): 1500
Rank #3
- 100% Acrylic.
- Fabric: 10 Gauge, Jacquard, Knitted.
- Height: 51.97in.
- Width: 7.48in.
- Design: Crest, Text, YNWA.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
