A Look at Sham El Nessim's Roots in Ancient Egypt

The holidays in Egypt have special names and rituals, reflecting the interdependence between the members of society. One of those holidays is Sham El-Nessim, which is actually associated with the renewal of life.

This holiday received its name in Pharaonic times when the Ancient Egyptians would make offerings of salted fish, lettuce and onions to the gods in return for a fruitful harvest.

 At that time ,the spring festival was named Shemu (season of the harvest), morphing eventually into the Coptic Shom Ennisim, before taking on its current Egyptian Arabic form of Sham El-Nessim, which translates as ‘smelling of the Zephyr’ – to breathe in the spring breeze.

The Ancient Egyptians determined the date by measuring the appearance of the Sun, the Sacred Lotus Flower, and the Nile's flood overflows.

But despite a very long time passed after Pharaoh's era, Egyptians are still celebrating the festival of renewal and rebirth in much the same way. On this occasion, Egyptian families come together to enjoy an outdoor picnic with a generous spread of salted mullet, also known as 'Feseekh', spring onion, fresh greens, and colored eggs.