Happy Ancient Egyptian New Year!
Official
and unofficial festivals helded at the ancient monumental sites across
the country and a lot of top officials, public figures, foreign embassy
representatives, artists and intellectuals had attend this festival.
Nearly 7,000 years ago, Ancient Egyptians were among the first nations to celebrate a new year. Ancient Egyptian culture was closely tied to the Nile River, and it appears their New Year celebrations corresponded with its annual flood.
The Egyptian New Year was predicted when “Sirius” (the brightest star in the night sky) first became visible after a 70-day absence, known as a heliacal rise. This phenomenon typically occurred in mid-July just before the annual inundation of the Nile River, which helped ensure that farmlands remained fertile for the coming year.
A temple Painting showing Ancient Egyptians celebrating “Wepet Renpet” (photo: Classroom Synonym)
Egyptians celebrated this new beginning with a festival known as “Wepet Renpet“, which means “opening of the year.” On New Year’s Day—the day the Nile actually began flooding—Egyptians celebrated by exchanging presents, usually small amulets of Sekhmet (the lion-headed goddess) or Bastet (the cat-headed goddess). The ancient civil Egyptian calendar had a year that was 365 days long and was divided into 12 months with 30 days each, in addition to five extra days at the end of the year.
The months were divided into three weeks of ten days each. The ancient Egyptian year was almost a quarter of a day shorter than the solar year which gave rise to the notion of the annus vagus or having it called the “wandering year”.
Nearly 7,000 years ago, Ancient Egyptians were among the first nations to celebrate a new year. Ancient Egyptian culture was closely tied to the Nile River, and it appears their New Year celebrations corresponded with its annual flood.
The Egyptian New Year was predicted when “Sirius” (the brightest star in the night sky) first became visible after a 70-day absence, known as a heliacal rise. This phenomenon typically occurred in mid-July just before the annual inundation of the Nile River, which helped ensure that farmlands remained fertile for the coming year.
A temple Painting showing Ancient Egyptians celebrating “Wepet Renpet” (photo: Classroom Synonym)
Egyptians celebrated this new beginning with a festival known as “Wepet Renpet“, which means “opening of the year.” On New Year’s Day—the day the Nile actually began flooding—Egyptians celebrated by exchanging presents, usually small amulets of Sekhmet (the lion-headed goddess) or Bastet (the cat-headed goddess). The ancient civil Egyptian calendar had a year that was 365 days long and was divided into 12 months with 30 days each, in addition to five extra days at the end of the year.
The months were divided into three weeks of ten days each. The ancient Egyptian year was almost a quarter of a day shorter than the solar year which gave rise to the notion of the annus vagus or having it called the “wandering year”.