Ancient Egyptian Festival Calendar
The first season of the Egyptians calendar was Akhet (appearance). This was the season in which the inundation occurred, and so it was dedicated to Hapi. it was hoped that he would ensure that the flood was not too low (resulting in a poor harvest) or too high (resulting in the destruction of mud-brick houses and paths built near to the Nile).
The inundation was also associated with the star Sirius because the star re-appeared (after a seventy day absence) at the new year heralding the flood. The star was associated with Sopdet (Sothis), Satet (Satis) and Isis .
The inundation was a quiet time for farmer as the fields were largely submerged. To earn tax relief (tax was a proportion of the food they produced) they could take on other jobs for the state. For example, during the Old Kingdom farmers could help with the construction of monuments such as the pyramids in return for living expenses and a tax rebate.
1; Tekh (Thoth, Thuti, Thout, Djwhty)
| Day |
Festival |
|
1 | wp rnpt- New Year (lit. opening of the year)
|
|
2 | HAt rnpt- "front of the year"
|
|
3 | ihhy -"jubilation"
|
|
10 | procession of Isis (Late Period)
|
|
15 | Hapi and Amun |
|
17-18 | Wagy or Wag
|
|
19 | Wag and Thoth. festival
|
|
20 | Tekh (drunkenness)
|
|
22 | Great Procession of Osiris.
|
|
30 | Osiris and Ennead
|
2; Menhet (Phaophi, Baba)
| Day |
Festival |
|
4 | hnp Sa - pouring the sand'
|
|
5 | mnht ha-hpr-ra - "cloth of Khakheperra (Senusret II)'"
and festival of Osiris and Ennead
|
|
15 or19 | Ipet (Opet)festival (11 to 27 day festival of Amun
|
|
18 | festival of Khnum and Anuket in Elephantine
|
|
27 | 2 day festival of Montu in Thebes
|
|
28 | festival of Satet and Anuket in Elephantine
|
3; Hwt-Hru (hathor, Athyr)
| Day |
Festival |
|
6 | ht hAwy m Ssp itrw "evening offering in taking the river"
feast of Isis(Late Period)
|
|
7 | Ssp itrw 'taking the river'
|
|
8 | Abd 'month'
|
|
9 | festival of Amun
|
|
15 | Fertility festival of Min
|
|
17 | the lamentations of Isis and Nephthys (New Kingdom)
|
|
21 | Feast day of Ma ´at
|
|
30 | festival of Anuket in Elephantine
|
4; Ka-Hr-Ka (Nehebkau, Khoiak)
| Day |
Festival |
|
1 | hnt Hwt-Hr - sailing of Hathor.
|
|
11 | Hb skr -Sokar
|
|
18 | start of the Khoiak festival (Osiris)
|
|
22 | Khoiak; Ploughing the Earth
|
|
26 | Khoiak; Sokar
|
|
30 | Khoiak; raising the Djed-pillar
|
Peret (proyet - emergence or growth) was the second season in the Egyptians calendar. The soil on the banks of the Nile was still very damp from the inundation and the fields were in the perfect condition for planting crops.
5; Sf-bdt (Ta-aabet, Tybi, Tobi)
| Day |
Festival |
|
1 or 12 | festival of Nehebkau ( a.k.a Beginning of Eternity)
|
|
13 | fAt aHt - "raising the field"
|
|
20 | sailing of Wadjet
|
|
29 | sailing of Bast
|
|
29 | festival of Raising the Willow
|
|
30 | sailing of Sekhmet / Mut
|
6; rh-wr (Mekhir, Meshir, Amshir )
| Day |
Festival |
|
1 | sailing of Anubis
|
|
14 | Hb skr sTA skr - two day festival known as "dragging Sokar"
|
|
15 | a festival known as Abd (month)
|
|
16 | a festival known as mddnt (half-month)
|
|
30 | a festival over several days known as "Amun in the festival of raising heaven"
|
7; rh- nds (Paremhat, Baramhat, Paenamenhotep, Phamenoth)
| Day |
Festival |
|
1 | festival of Ptah
|
|
17 | hnt nt tA "sailing of the land"
|
|
21 | festival of Amenhotep I
|
|
29 | four day festival of Amenhotep I in Deir el-Medina
|
8; rnwt (Pharmuthi, Paremoude, Barmouda)
| Day |
Festival |
|
4 | festival of Bast (known as the day of chewing onions for Bast)
|
|
5 | sailing of Bast
|
|
25 | harvest festival to Renenutet
|
|
27 | granary offering to Renenutet
|
Shemu (shomu - low water, harvest) was the third season in the Egyptians calendar. It was the harvest season.
9; hnsw (Pa-khonsu, Pakhon)
| Day |
Festival |
|
1 | festival of Renenutet (and the birthday of Nepri -personification of grain)
|
|
10 | festival of Anubis
|
|
11 | festival of Min a 4-day festival
|
|
18 | mddnt (half-month)
|
10; hnty-hty (Paeninet, Paoni, Payni)
| Day |
Festival |
|
New moon | festival of the valley
|
|
19 | Hb HqA anx wDA snb 'festival of the ruler may he live, be healthy and well'
|
11; iput-hmt (Epip Epiph)
| Day |
Festival |
|
15 | Hapy and Amun to secure a good flood (known from Dynasty 19 rock inscriptions at Gebel el-Silsila)
|
|
30 | eve of the Hathor festival at Thebes
|
12; Wpt-rnpt (Mesut-Ra, Mesori)
| Day |
Festival |
|
2 | Ipip festival, isis(Late Period)
|
|
24 | festival of Ptah (local?), according to a rough inscription on a Middle Kingdom pyramid
|
|
30 | eve of start of year
|
Go to the main calendar page
