EGYPT: Egyptians celebrate the traditional Shamm al-Naseem holiday to welcome spring

Record ID: 792225

  • Title: EGYPT: Egyptians celebrate the traditional Shamm al-Naseem holiday to welcome spring
  • Date: 29th April 2008
  • Summary: FLOWER STAND/ FLORIST ARRANGING FLOWERS
  • Embargoed: 14th May 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVA9BZZQFP3WE1U4PF7LFZT8E98J
  • Story Text: Millions of Egyptians marked the ushering in of spring on Monday (April 28), with the ancient holiday of "Shamm al-Naseem", as families gathered for picnics in parks along the banks of the Nile.
    "Shamm al-Naseem", which means "Smelling the Breeze" in Arabic, is an ancient Pharoanic holiday perhaps dating as far back as the 3rd millennium BCE, but it has survived throughout the ages and adapted to more recent aspects of Egyptian culture along the way.
    During the holiday, Egyptians eat traditional meals of salted fish, boiled eggs, green onions and lettuce -- items the Ancients are believed to have offered to their gods as symbols of fertility and rebirth.
    This morning fishmongers, whose salted fish is left to pickle for several months, did a swift trade in on those items as families stocked up for the festivities.
    But with the economy strained by increasing inflation and rising food prices that have led to long bread lines, some merchants are complaining that business is slow.
    "We used to have lots of work, now it's all dried up because of dearness. So how can you get customers? Our products have become too dear even for us. It's not we who are raising the prices, things have become expensive, as you can see," said Ahmed, a lettuce vendor.
    And, as with every year, fears abound about the safety of eating "fiseekh" -- the pungent, salted grey mullet that critics say is often spoiled and can lead to deadly diseases like Botulism.
    Emergency rooms in the capital are on call for cases of food poisoning and Egypt's ministry of health has warned the public not to over-indulge its taste for the pungent delicacy.
    Police over the past few days have also confiscated 25 tonnes of fish that they say was not fit for human consumption.
    But those worries were far from the mind of Raafat Kamel, who came to the Aga Khan park in the Shubra neighbourhood to spend the day with family and friends.
    "We feel that we are all brothers when we see each other on Shamm al-Naseem. I live in one area and my siblings live in another part of town, so we all meet in one place spend a nice day together. So Shamm al-Naseem is, for us, a holiday to gather everyone together, our families and friends and colleagues, we all gather here on the Corniche," he said.
    A national holiday with its origins in ancient Egypt, "Shamm al-Nassim is unique in the Egyptian calendar, celebrated by Muslims and Christians alike.
    The authorities estimate that nearly five million Egyptians will head for the parks on Monday, to take in the spring air, picnic and play traditional games like backgammon.
    One man who came to the park with his family, Mahmoud Abdul Ali, said the holiday is a chance to forget his troubles.
    "It is a very old Pharaonic custom. It is a holiday during which people relax and go out, celebrate the transition from winter to summer. It is spring now, the flowers are blooming and people are socialising," Abdul Ali told Reuters.
    It is said that the ancient Egyptians were the first to decorate boiled eggs, which they used in religious ceremonies, a tradition carried forward by many Christians during Easter celebrations. Indeed "Shamm al-Naseem"
    falls on the day after Coptic Christian Easter Sunday.
    Om Medhat said that she has been celebrating "Shamm al-Naseem" for as long as she can remember.
    "From the time we are born our parents take us out to celebrate in the parks and eat fish and eggs. Everything is great. We take the kids out and they can play together," she said.
    Other Egyptians are also using the holiday to get away from the city, with ferries taking them north to the resort town of Qanater, known for its public gardens.
    With the seasonal sandstorms on the horizon, "Shamm al-Naseem" offers Egyptians one last chance to take a breath of fresh air.
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