Reveling in the ancient Egyptian identity
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To celebrate the Egyptian New Year – it is now the year 6251, according to Egypt for Egyptians, a non-profit organisation that works to promote a concept of Egyptian identity. – is to commemorate what is fundamentally Egyptian: that spirited national pride and strong sense of place that predates the foreign influences that turned Egypt into a nation of fractured identities, said Samy Farag, a lawyer and ancient history enthusiast who helped to plan last week’s small celebration.
The recently revived Egyptian New Year and other holidays trace their roots to an ancient nation that predates Islam and Christianity. On November 1, Mr Farag, a member of Om Al Masria, an Egyptian nationalist organisation, will organise a party to celebrate the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt in 3100BC. December 24 will be Tree Day – a celebration meant to commemorate the ancient Egyptian legend of Osiris and his “Tree of Life” (“It will be exactly like a Christmas tree,” said Mr Farag).
Finally, Om Al Masria is also planning celebrations for two ancient holidays that are already widely observed in Egypt. The organisation is making arrangements for a party on April 5 to mark Sham Al Nessim, the ancient Egyptian vernal equinox, and for Wafaa Al Nil, the feast day that marks the beginning of the Nile flood season, in August.
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