Rediscover Ancient Egypt with Tehuti Research Foundation

The main theme of the Ancient Egyptian texts is the cyclical nature of the universe and the constant need for the renewal of such cycles, through well-designated festivals. The Egyptians viewed/view these festivals as part of human existence, which constitutes the rhythm of the life of the community and of the individual. This rhythm results from the order of cosmic life.

The renewal and rejuvenation of the life of the cosmos, of the community, and of the individual are affected by rites. These rites had/have the power to bring about the rejuvenation and rebirth of divine life. Failure to hold the festivals at the appropriate dates and times might very well produce individual or collective sentiments of culpability. As such, the Egyptian festivals came to have the function of enactments of cosmological (religious) renewals. Most of the Egyptians not only expect a blessing to follow their participation, but they also dread that some misfortune will befall them if they neglect this act.

The aim of the Egyptian festivals was (and continues to be) the rejuvenation and renewal of the cosmic energies. During the numerous Ancient Egyptian religious festivals, the participants fall back on the archetypal truth of their cosmic consciousness—As above so below, and as below so above. Every holy festival actualizes the archetypal holy cycle. These holy cycles have become part of the calendar. More accurately, the calendar served to indicate when the cosmological powers (neteru/gods) were manifested, and their renewal cycles. All early Greek and Roman writers affirmed these Ancient Egyptian cosmic correlations, such as Plutarch, in his Moralia, [Vol. V (377,65)]:

. . . They [the Egyptians] associate theological concepts with the seasonal changes in the surrounding atmosphere, or with the growth of the crops and seed-times and plowing. . .

All the elements and rules governing the Ancient Egyptian festivals are exactly applicable to present-day festivals with organized and detailed schemes.

Baladi Egyptians continue to consider the festivals and their rituals as the climax of their religious practices, which are very critical to the order and harmony of the cosmos—and by extension the well-being of one and all.

All present-day festivals (except for Mohammed’s and those of his immediate family) are a continuation of Ancient Egyptian festivals, camouflaged under Islamic names.

The official annual number of festivals (mouleds) in present-day Egypt, even though they are contrary to Islam, is estimated at more than 3,000. There is not a single day in Egypt without a mouled somewhere, and the participation is very profound. For example, just the three main festivals of the Sidi Ahmed el-Badawi, at the city of Tanta, attract almost as many visitors as Mecca does pilgrims from the whole of the Islamized world. The major Autumn mouled of el-Badawi is attended by more than two million people and each of the other two mouleds are attended, respectively, by more than one million visitors. All this is indicative of the Baladi Egyptians’ adherence by the millions to their ancient traditions.

The procession of the sacred arks (ferry boats) is frequently depicted in sculptures throughout Egypt, such as in the case of the Apet Feast [shown on opposite page], which celebrated the one mile (2 km) journey of Amen/Amun/Amon from his sanctuary at Karnak Temple to the temple of Luxor and back again. The statue of Amen traveled partly on land, carried in a model boat on the shoulders of the priests, and partly in a real boat on the River Nile, while crowds of spectators gathered along the banks. Scenes from an Apet Feast, celebrated during the reign of Tutankhamen, decorate the walls of a colonnade in the Luxor temple, and give a lively impression of the occasion.

The present-day Egyptians of Luxor perform the same ancient festivities, starting at the Abu-el-Haggag mosque, located at Luxor Temple, and following the same ancient traditions camouflaged in an Islamic exterior. It is a testament to the resilience of the Baladi Egyptians, who maintain their ancestoral traditions forever.