by Helena Tadros
New Year Celebrations Across the World is a series of articles describing the different New Years’ histories, traditions, and changes throughout different countries and cultures. Do note that a country, region, or larger culture can have many subcultures that may celebrate differently.
Modern Celebration
To the shock of many, the American celebration of the New Year does not vary much from how Egyptians celebrate. Family values are greatly emphasized in Egypt, so generally, families gather for a shared meal around or after midnight, just as many families do in the United States. During said meal, friends and relatives come together to celebrate the opportunities of a New Year, perhaps even setting some New Year’s resolutions.
However, there is not just one New Year in Egypt. It is common in Egyptian culture, and in other Arab cultures, to be religious. This societal norm certainly stands for Coptic Orthodox Christianity and Islam, and each of these religions follows its own special calendar, thus resulting in multiple New Year celebrations in Egypt. In addition to these religious New Years, the ancient Egyptians also had a unique way of celebrating this holiday.
Ancient Egyptian New Year
The ancient Egyptian calendar was the first calendar used in recorded history. To briefly summarize, ancient Egyptians followed a calendar composed of twelve lunar months, evenly grouped into three seasons. The ancient Egyptian New Year corresponded with the flooding of the Nile. The Roman writer Censorinus stated that the prediction of the New Year came with what became known as a ‘heliacal rising’: Sirius, the night sky’s brightest star, would come back into sight after 70 days of absence. Then, the official New Year would come with the first new moon after the reappearance of Sirius. This event usually took place around the middle of July, and the annual flooding of the Nile’s waters would keep the farmlands fertile. (However, since the date of the flooding could vary by up to 80 days, this was not a reliable marker for the beginning of the year.) The festival to celebrate the New Year was called Wepet Renpet, which means “opening of the year,” and the holiday was celebrated by feasting and completing special religious rites.
Coptic Orthodox New Year
Moving on to Coptic New Year, Coptic Orthodoxy is one of the lesser known sects of Christianity. In Egypt, however, it is known for being the largest Christian denomination‒approximately 10% of the Egyptian population is Coptic‒and one of the oldest branches of Christianity, dating back to the days of Christ. The word ‘Coptic’ comes from a Greek word meaning ‘Egyptian.’ Copts, as those who follow this sect are called, usually originate from or live in Egypt, Libya, Sudan, and other areas in the Middle East.
The Coptic calendar is arguably the oldest calendar still in modern use, and it is based off of the ancient Egyptian calendar. According to Dr. Medhat R. Wassef, a deacon at St. Mark Coptic Church in Jersey City, “The Coptic Year is the extension of the ancient Egyptian civil year retaining its subdivision into the three seasons, four months each. This subdivision is maintained in the Coptic Calendar. The three seasons are commemorated by special prayers in the Coptic Divine Liturgy.” In order, the Coptic months are: Tout, Baba, Hator, Kiahk, Toba, Amshir, Baramhat, Baramouda, Bashans, Paona, Epep, Mesra, and Nasie (Note: different sources may provide various spellings of these terms; this is merely due to varying interpretations of pronunciation). These names are similar to those from the Ancient Egyptian calendar (the pronunciations slightly differ). Each of these months is made up of 30 days, except for Nasie; the last month of the year may be made up of five or six days, depending on whether or not it is a leap year. As previously mentioned, this calendar is divided into three seasons. The first is the season of the flood of the Nile, which lasts from Tout to Kiahk; the second is the season of vegetation, which lasts from Toba to Baramouda; and the last is the season of reaping and harvesting, which lasts from Bashans to Mesra. The short month is deemed a “chance for feasts and festivals.”
Coptic New Year is known as the Feast of Nayrouz. The word “Nayrouz” is of Coptic origin; its stem means ‘the rivers,’ and its suffix ‘ouz’ is Greek. The timing of this holiday coincides with the rising of the Nile River, much like in the ancient Egyptian calendar, and prayers for its rising and blessings for the crown of the year are offered to God. It is celebrated on the first day of the first month of the calendar followed by Copts, that month being Tout. This year, and for many more to come, the holiday falls on September 11th.
In addition to joyously celebrating the New Year, members of the Coptic Orthodox Church commemorate the millions of martyrs who selflessly gave up their lives for their religion. ‘Martyrs’ is the Greek word meaning ‘witnesses.’ One of the defining characteristics of this sect of Christianity is that the Coptic Orthodox Church has dealt with an immense amount of persecution since its very beginning. “Martyrdom was a fact of life for those who confessed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Egypt, known as ‘the land of the martyrs,’ counted more martyrs in its midst than any other country in the world,” according to Father Tadros Malaty. This is why the calendar is also known as the “Calendar of Martyrs”
As with every religious holiday in the Church, Copts celebrate Coptic New Year by gathering for services and prayer. Aside from the religious aspect of this holiday, it is also celebrated by eating red dates; the red of the dates is meant to symbolize the blood of millions of martyrs, and their white inner portions are meant to symbolize the purity of these martyrs’ hearts.
Islamic New Year
Egypt is known for being a primarily Muslim country. An approximated 85-95% of Egypt is Muslim.
The Islamic Calendar is also called the Hijri Calendar, taking its name from the Arabic word “hijrah,” meaning migration. It refers to the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Madinah in 622 AD; the New Year is meant to align with the beginning of Muhammad’s journey. Caliph Umar I is known for being instrumental in the development of this calendar. Before using this calendar, different events were used to mark time; however, the need to devise a calendar eventually became apparent. The full and crescent moons are used to determine the beginning and end of each month, respectively. This calendar is comprised of 354 (or 355) days, separated into twelve months: Muharram, Safar, Rabi’ al-Awwal, Rabi ’ al-Akhir, Jamada al-Ula, Jamada al-Akhirah, Rajab, Sha’ban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhu al-Qa’dah, and Dhu al-Hijjah. These months’ lengths alternate between 30 and 29 days, except for the last month, which has varied in the past to keep the month aligned with the phases of the moon.
In the Islamic calendar, days begin at sunset. Because the Islamic year is 11 to 12 days shorter, events fall on a different day each year. Islamic New Year is the first day of Muharram, the month of remembrance and the second holiest month after Ramadan; this year, the holiday will begin on the evening of August 9 and end on the evening of August 10. The beginning of Muharram is celebrated by reciting Quranic verses and holding special prayers and sermons.
Next time you decide to take a vacation to Egypt and one of these holidays takes place during your stay, you’ll be able to understand the festivities and celebrations happening around you!
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