31/12/2019
Hi guys,
Happy New Year my friends,
Today I would like to make spot on how the ancient Egyptians celebrated the New Year!!!
They celebrated the New Year with 5 festivals.
1- Wepet-Renpet Festival
During the middle and the Old Kingdom, the Wepet-Renpet Festival was celebrated on the first month in the ancient Egyptian calendar, meaning “The Opening of The Year”. Ancient Egyptians would observe the sky and look for the brightest star “Sirius”, and with its return, the festivities would begin.
The return of Sirius would signify the beginning of the New Year and would indicate the return of the Nile’s flood, which was an integral aspect in ancient Egyptians’ life, and agriculture.
2- Wag Festival
One of the oldest festivals in ancient Egypt, and it was celebrated in the Old Kingdom, it would solely focus on the death and rebirth of the god Osiris, and the souls of who have passed, as they made their way to judgment and the afterlife.
It was a tradition to create paper shrines, and small paper boats, and make them sail across the Nile, from the East bank to the West signifying the journey.
3- Thoth Festival
Near the end of the Old Kingdom, another festival was created, it had a fixed date which was on the 18th of the first month in the calendar and was usually celebrated with the Wag Festival, right after the Wepet-Renpet Festival.
While the god Osiris was celebrated for his rebirth, the god Thoth was celebrated for his wisdom, and knowledge, and his responsibility during the judgment of the dead gave him more reverence and respect by the ancient Egyptians.
4- Tekh Festival
Also called “The Feast of Drunkenness”, it was dedicated to the goddess Hathor after she saved the human race. The legend tells that the god Ra wanted to teach the human race a lesson so he sent the goddess Sekhmet to kill and destroy them, but later he felt he got "a little carried away", so he orders a large bowl of beer to be brought before her, and she drinks it and falls asleep, stopping her path of destruction.
When Sekhmet awakens she is turned into the goddess Hathor, who is more merciful, and gentle, and that's when the festival starts, people would pray and drink until the morning in celebration of their survival.
5- The Epagomenae
They are the last five days of the year, considered as the "added" days that would turn the ancient Egyptian calendar from 360 to 365, making it similar to the one we have today.
While not exactly a celebration, the 5 days were still revered, observed with offerings, and rituals at temples throughout Egypt, and would make way for the Wepet-Renpet Festival to begin.
