Festivals in Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptian festivals celebrated gods like Ra. People used them to connect with the divine through offerings, dancing, and prayer. While we have limited information from the Old Kingdom, later periods, particularly the New Kingdom, provide detailed accounts of festivals on temple walls. These events, known as “Heb,” were not only for worship but also to reinforce the king’s divine authority. The Egyptian calendar structured itself around these festivals, with a 365-day year divided into three seasons and five extra days for special celebrations. Parades and processions, like the one at Karnak temple, were common, and annual festivals emphasized life’s cyclical nature.
Religious and Social Characteristics of Ancient Egyptians
Ancient Egyptians were deeply religious and social people who worshiped many gods and goddesses. They held numerous festivals each year to express gratitude and honor their deities. These festivals were not only for religious observance but also served as important social events for communal gathering and bonding. This shows how their religious and social lives were interconnected, with festivals being a key part of the fabric of their society.
Ancient Egyptian Festivals on the epagomenal days (epagomenae)
The ancient Egyptian calendar year consisted of 12 months with 30 days each, plus five extra days called “epagomenal days.” These extra days were considered “days out of time.” They celebrated the birth of the sky goddess Nut’s children: Osiris, Horus, Seth, Isis, and Nephthys.
- Day 1: Osiris’ birthday Festival
- Day 2: Horus’ Birthday Festival (Hormas)
- Day 3: Seth’s birthday festival
- Day 4: Isis’ birthday Festival
- Day 5: Nephthy’s Birthday Festival
5 Major Ancient Egyptian Festivals
1. Birthday of God Horus on the second epagonal day (Hormas, and later Christmas):
The birth of Horus was one of the most important ancient Egyptian festivals. Every ancient Egyptian temple, even those built by the Greek Ptolemies, has a special chapel called the “ma-mse,” or “birth chapel,” dedicated to Horus’s divine birth. Every year, the ancient Egyptians celebrated Horus’s birth, honoring the miraculous birth of the savior who represents the struggle between good and evil and who maintains the delicate balance of existence.
2. Ancient Egyptian’s New Year’s Day (Wepet-Renpet Festival):
3. The Opet Festival (Wedding of Amun & Mut):
The Opet festival, held in the second month of the Egyptian calendar, was the most important and longest festival in Thebes, lasting up to 20 days. Its purpose was to revive the king through the god Amun.
The festival began with a journey: Amun traveled from the Karnak temple to the Luxor temple, where he married the goddess Mut in a sacred ceremony. After the wedding ritual, Amun-Re would oversee the annual re-creation of the universe. The festival concluded with the divine couple’s return to Karnak Temple, where they announced the birth of the god Khonso. The king was part of this union and played a role in the rebirth of this divine force.
4. The Festival of the Dead (Wag Festival):
The Wag Festival is one of the oldest ancient Egyptian festivals, first celebrated during the Old Kingdom. It is dedicated to the death of Osiris and honors the spirits of the departed. Held in conjunction with the Wepet-Renpet, its date shifted according to the lunar calendar.
During the festival, people would place small paper boats on graves facing west to symbolize the death of Osiris. They would also float paper shrines on the Nile for the same reason. A priest from the temple of Osiris or Anubis would lead the rituals and ceremonies.
5. Sacred Marriage of Hathor:
It all started on the 18th of the tenth month, Paoni, when the figure of the Hathor Goddess was removed from her sanctuary at Dendera to sail upriver to Horus’ temple at Edfu. She and her disciples arrived in Edfu on the new moon day at the end of summer. Horus left his temple and greeted his spouse on the seas on the anniversary of his victory against Seth. The heavenly couple arrived at the temple at the opening of the mouth and the offering of the first fruits.
This odd mix of funeral and harvest rites is presumably due to Horus’ connection with Osiris, the deity of both. They spent the night in the Birth House. The next day’s celebrations were different. The Festival of Behdet consisted of ceremonies to assure the people of Horus’ reign and full authority. Visits to the necropolis and memorial services were among the events. It was said that Horus the Behdetite had retaken the Upper and Lower Egyptian crowns by sacrificing an animal and a goat. “Praise to you, Ra, praises to you, Khepri, in all these lovely names.
I saw you slay the monster and ascend beautifully.” His adversaries were metaphorically stomped underfoot, and their names were written on papyrus for everyone to see. After the enemy was defeated, the celebrants enjoyed a night of delight. Assumedly, this element of the ceremony was a signal to the priests, priestesses, king, queen, and most commoners to do the same. One of the main motivations for the celebration was presumably for mortals to “drink before the god” and “spend the night gaily.” After two weeks of fun and games, Hathor Goddess returned to Dendera.
Other Ancient Egyptian Festivals
The Heb-Sed Festival
The Heb-Sed (Jubilee Festival) was a specialized celebration held every 30 years to honor the king and confirm his divine right to rule. It was a crucial political and religious event that blended religious devotion, political power, and public spectacle. The festival was so important that kings could even celebrate it earlier than the 30-year mark if they needed urgent help from the gods.
Purpose and Rituals: The primary purpose of the festival was to revitalize the king and prove he was still fit to lead the people. The festival began with a grand procession held in front of priests, nobles, and the public, demonstrating the king’s vitality and his connection to the divine. This was followed by a physical test where the king would run around an enclosure. He would then fire arrows in the four cardinal directions, a symbolic act that represented his power and ability to conquer foreign nations.
Significance: The Sed Festival was a great honor for the king and a cornerstone of ancient Egyptian culture. People believed the prayers he made during the festival were among the most powerful he could ever utter. The prayers ensured divine favor and the stability of the kingdom.
Tekh Festival: The Ancient Egyptian Festival of Drunkenness
The Tekh festival, or Feast of Drunkenness, was a Middle Kingdom celebration honoring Hathor and commemorating a myth where alcohol saved humanity. According to the myth, the god Ra sent Sekhmet to punish humanity, but she became so bloodthirsty that Ra had to stop her. He ordered beer to be dyed crimson, which Sekhmet drank, mistaking it for blood. She then fell asleep and awoke as the benevolent Hathor. The festival involved worshipers getting drunk and then being awoken by drums to connect with Hathor and Mut in the Hall of Drunkenness.
Sokar Festival
Bast Festival / Bastet Festival
Another prominent event was the worship of the goddess Bastet at her cult center of Bubastis. It commemorated the birth of Bastet, the cat goddess who was the defender of women, children, and women’s secrets, as well as the guardian of hearth and home. According to Herodotus, Bastet’s celebration was the most extravagant and well-attended in Egypt. According to Egyptologist Geraldine Pinch, who quotes Herodotus, “During the yearly festival in Bubastis, the law liberated women from all restrictions. They drank, danced, made music, and displayed their genitals to commemorate the goddess’s festival “.
As reported by Herodotus, the women’s “lifting of the skirts” during festivals showed a liberation from usual restraints and was also related to reproduction. Herodotus claimed over 700,000 people attended the celebration, and this figure may be accurate, as the goddess was one of the most popular in Egypt among both sexes. The event included dancing, singing, and drinking to honor Bastet for her gifts and to request future blessings.
Nehebkau Festival
Nehebkau was the deity who, at birth, connected the ka (soul) to the khat (body) and, after death, bound the ka to the ba (the soul’s wandering aspect). As the people celebrated rebirth and renewal, the celebration marked Osiris’ resurrection and the restoration of his ka. In many ways, the celebration was comparable to the Wepet-Renpet New Year’s Festival.
Min Festival
The Min Festival honored the god of fertility, Min, and began in the Early Dynastic Period. It became exceptionally significant in the Middle Kingdom. The festival was a procession where priests carried a statue of Min out of the temple, accompanied by singers and dancers.
Purpose and Rituals: During the festival, the king would ceremonially cut the first sheaf of grain, symbolizing his connection to the gods, the land, and the people. He would then lead the people in offering the grain to the deity. This ritual celebrated both the monarch and the god. They expected a happy and productive reign. They also hoped it would bring fertility to the country and its people.
Thoth’s Festival
The Thoth Festival was an ancient Egyptian celebration for the god of writing, wisdom, and knowledge, Thoth. Historians believe Egyptians celebrated it around August 6, coinciding with the Wag Festival.
Rituals and Significance: During the festival, religious leaders would lead special prayers and give blessings to honor Thoth’s role as a record keeper and facilitator in the hall of judgment. These rituals not only paid homage to Thoth but also reinforced the ethical codes central to ancient Egyptian society. The festival also included community gatherings for reflection, strengthening social bonds and communal values.
