Ancient Egyptian culture has always been deeply intertwined with the River Nile which has always held a significant part in every aspect of the Egyptian civilization. As such, the people of Egypt observed their New Year corresponding with the annual flood of the River Nile.
From the accounts of the Roman writer Censorinus we come to know that the Egyptians calculated their New Year based on the sighting of Sirius, the brightest amongst the stars in the night sky. New Year was declared when Sirius became visible after a period of 70 days absence. This incident was termed as the heliacal rising and it occurred sometime in the middle of the month of July just prior to the annual Nile inundation. This contributed towards keeping the farmland fertile.
This phenomenon was termed as the Wepet Renpet (Opening of the Year), and New Year, as such, in Egypt was a time for marking rebirth and rejuvenation, and was observed with traditional rites, rituals and feasts. The New Year in Egypt is also linked to the legend of the Sun God Ra saving the entire humanity from the clutches of Sekhmet, the war Goddess, who had planned to eradicate the human race, by making her drink till she got unconscious. This new lease of life for the human race is naturally celebrated by the Egyptians with much merriment.
Since majority of the people residing in Egypt follow Islam as their religion, the New Year for them is marked by the Islamic Hijri calendar, and it marks the day on which Prophet Muhammad was born. This day is also referred to as Maulid or Mawlid.
In Cairo, the New Year’s Day is celebrated in a carnival spirit with circus performers, dancers, singers and musicians congregating from all over Egypt to entertain people. Foods and sweets are also sold.
Now let us look at the traditions that are observed in the country to mark a New Year