Monday Announced Holiday on Sham El-Nessim, Sinai Liberation Day

Egyptian Prime Minister, Mustafa Madbouli, announced that next Monday will be an official holiday celebrating Sinai Liberation Day, and Sham al-Nessim (Easter).

The first decision stipulated that Monday, April 25, will be an official paid holiday for Sham al-Nessim in all government ministries and departments, public authorities, local administration units, public sector companies, public business companies, and the private sector.

Sham El-Nessim in Egypt is celebrated by Egyptians of all religions as it is based on a spring festival that predates both Christianity and Islam، office holidays reported.

Sham El-Nessim dates back to ancient Egypt to at least 2700 BCE and is a festival that celebrates the arrival of Spring.

Ancient Egyptians celebrated the holiday at the spring equinox، the date of which، in Cairo، could be calculated by observing the direction of the sunlight at sunrise over the Giza pyramids.

The changing of the seasons and in particular the effect on the Nile would have been an important event in the life of all Egyptians، and the close and start of prosperous agricultural seasons would have been a key celebration.

Sham El-Nessim، translates from Arabic as ‘smelling the breeze’، though this is a nice sound-alike coincidence as the name of the festival comes from the Egyptian name for the harvest season – ‘Shamo’ meaning renewal of life.