How did the ancient Egyptians celebrate the New Year?

CAIRO – 29 December 2021: The ancient Egyptian culture was closely related to the Nile River. Their new year seems to correspond to its annual flood, according to the Roman writer Censorinus.

The Egyptian New Year was predicted when the Sirius star would become the brightest star in the night - visible for the first time after an absence of 70 days.

This phenomenon, known as solar rise, usually occurred in mid-July before the annual flooding of the Nile, helping to ensure that farmland remained fertile for the next year.

Egyptians celebrated this new beginning with a special festival known as “Wepet Renpet” , which translates to "the opening of the year". The new year was seen as a time of rebirth and rejuvenation, and was honored with special religious feasts and rituals.

Recent discoveries in the Temple of Mut show that during the reign of Hatshepsut, the temple hosted a huge festival during the first month of the year. The festival was associated with the legend of Sekhmet, the goddess of war who planned to kill all mankind until a god deceived her. To honor the salvation of mankind, the Egyptians celebrated with music and clamor.