Festivals were the high points of the year in ancient Egypt. Many were tied to the gods and the Nile, and on festival days temple statues left their sanctuaries and were carried through the streets or along the river, the only time ordinary people could come close to the gods.
The Opet Festival
The greatest festival of Thebes took place during the flood season. The statues of Amun, Mut and Khonsu were carried in sacred boats from Karnak to Luxor Temple along the Avenue of Sphinxes or by river, with music, dancing and free food and beer. It lasted up to almost a month and renewed the king’s divine power.
The Beautiful Festival of the Valley
Once a year Amun crossed the Nile to visit the memorial temples on the West Bank, and families went to the tombs of their dead relatives to eat, drink and remember them, a little like a picnic with the ancestors.
Other festivals
Wepet Renpet marked the New Year, when the Nile began to rise. At Abydos, mysteries of Osiris re-enacted his death and rebirth. At Dendera, the statue of Hathor sailed to Edfu to visit Horus in the Festival of the Beautiful Meeting. The Heb-Sed was a jubilee celebrated after a king had ruled for about 30 years.
Festivals today
Some traditions live on. Sham el-Nessim, the spring festival celebrated by all Egyptians, may have ancient roots. See our page on festivals and public holidays in Egypt today.
