Sham El Nessim: Egypt’s Ancient Spring Celebration - { Cultural Foodie}
Article Pic An Ancient Egyptian Tradition There is a tradition of celebrating the spring season in Egypt. In Egypt, these celebrations take place on a day called Sham El Nessim, which can be translated as “breathing the breeze.” Sham El Nessim is derived from the ancient Egyptian word Shemu, which was later turned into the Coptic Shom El Nessim before becoming the Egyptian Arabic Sham El Nessim used today. The celebration was mainly concerned with the fruitful harvest season. Egyptians celebrated with offerings to the gods. These offerings included salted fish, onions, and lettuce. The fish offerings symbolized life, preservation, and their relation to the Nile. The ebb and flow of the Nile’s floodwaters left fish behind, which were naturally dried and salted in the sun. The drying...
