Beautiful….. Eggs !!!

Don't you love it when almost all people on earth are celebrating together !!!

Well, Easter was yesterday and today is an ancient Egyptian celebration called "Sham El Nessim" which literally means "smelling the breeze". Sham El Nessim is calculated on the Egyptian "Coptic" calendar which is celebrated on the Vernal "Spring" Equinox (equinox is Latin for equal nights). Sham El Nessim declares the begining of spring and harvest season. All Egyptians have been officially celebrating Sham El Nessim since 2700BC.

In the Egyptian calendar the year was divided into three seasons namely Akhet (Inundation or Flood), Peret (Growth - Winter) and Shemu (Harvest - Summer). So Shemu or the season of harvest represented spring. Since forever, Egyptians have been celebrating Shemu or spring which later on after the Arabic language was adopted by all Copts "Egyptians", the celebration's name was transferred into the closest Arabic word which is "Sham" meaning "Smelling" and later the word "EL Nessim" was added, which means "the Breeze".

Shemu day was believed to be the beginning of creation or the start of life (when the sun is in the Aries zodiac). As according to Ancient Egyptian Astronomy; Shemu day is the only day in the year where the day and night are equal. Also at Shemu day's noon, the pyramids cast no shadow due to the angle of the sides of the pyramid versus it is latitude. Another interesting fact, there is an invisible equilateral triangle formed between the pyramid, it is equivalent point in the southern hemisphere and the exact 60 degree angle of the sun also on Shemu day.

I guess when it comes to Ancient Egyptians....all goes back to astronomy !!!

Let's go to the fun part now !!!

What does Shemu or Sham El Nessim celebration entail?

Colored eggs ...Surprise.... Surprise !!!

Of course not only colored eggs, but also salted fish and onions. These three things are symbols;

• Colored egg is thought to be the origin of the Easter eggs. It was stated in the Ancient Egyptian's "Book of the dead" and in Akhenaton chants; the egg represents the creation of life from an inanimate. The ancient rituals started by people writing down their wishes on the eggs on Shemu's eve. After that they put it in a basket of palm fronds and hung it on their roofs or on trees, so it would please the Gods and the Gods in turn fulfill their dreams by dawn. Later on, these writings were transformed into inscriptions then to beautiful colors and dyes, a tradition that all Egyptians intend to keep forever.
• Another highly respected food to the ancient Egyptians is FISH. Salted fish (known as fesikh), was given as gifts to the Gods too. It is imperative that Egyptians eat fish on that day till now.
• Onions are regarded as a symbol of healing and purification
  
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And do not forget the flowers !!!

It is well known how much the Egyptians love flowers, that is why the lotus flower was the symbol of Egypt in the ancient times. That is why still on Shemu day everybody goes to the gardens too.

So, I guess the whole world colored eggs and bought flowers yesterday and we are doing that today ...all from the Egyptian tradition ...so thank you :)))

Happy Easter!!!

Happy Sham El Nessim!!!

I hope everyday will be a celebration to all of you :)

Image Credit: Red and blues eggs by Ranveig and Lotus egg by Elian (via Wikimedia commons)