The Religious Year (12 Parts)

The Egyptian Religious Year (Part 12/12). The Egyptian year ended on a down-note. Thanks to a string of "unlucky" days, the ancients experienced a time of uncertainty and disorder in…

The Religious Year (Part 10+11). As the end of year approached, the Egyptians celebrated some essential festivals to honour the past and prepare for the future. With the harvest now…

The Religious Year (8+9). The planting season (peret) was ending; the season of harvest (shemu) was starting. Over these two months, Egyptians looked to the fields, and the gods that…

The Religious Year (6 + 7 / 12): Great and Small Heat The sixth and seventh months of the year were called Great and Small Heat, respectively. They were a…

The Month of Cats and Snakes (The Religious Year 5/12). The fifth month, Ta-Abet ("the banquet offering") was a month for worshiping snakes and cats above all. In particular, the…

The religious year (3/12) The third month was called "Hathor" ("Athyr"). It was a time for renewing fertility and creative energies in the natural world. Festivals to the male god of…

The Religious Year (2/12). In the month of Pa-Opet ("Phaophi") the Egyptians continued their long re-enactment of the myth of Osiris. They also celebrated a huge festival in honour of…

The Egyptian Religious Year (Part 1/12) The Egyptian New Year began in the month called "Tekh." It heralded a month of important rituals: festivals of the Nile Flood (Hapi); festivals…