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Nayrouz
Nayrouz (Arabic: النيروز, Coptic: ⲡⲓⲭⲗⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ϯⲣⲟⲙⲡⲓ, lit. 'the crown of the year') is a feast when martyrs and confessors are commemorated within the Coptic Orthodox Church. Celebrated on September 11, the day is both the start of the Coptic new year and its first month, Thout. Nayrouz is also commemorated by Ethiopian Christians who also call it Enkutatash. Children wear new clothes and give bouquets of flowers to people.
Despite having religious connotations and being mainly celebrated by the Coptic Christian community today, the festival used to be much more widespread and celebrated by both Christian and Muslim Egyptians. However, due to repressions by the central government, it lost much of its significance as a popular festival. When it was popular, Muslim scholars such as Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn al-Hajj al-Abdari urged Muslim laity to not participate in Coptic festivals, especially this one. Ibn Taymiyya laid out a discussion of rituals, time, and place and stated none should be imitated.
The name of the feast comes from the Iranian festival of Nowruz (Persian: نوروز, lit. 'new day'), which originated in Ancient Iran, which is widely celebrated in the Middle East up to this day. There are a few theories about the origin of Nayrouz as celebrated by Copts. One is that it was introduced to Egypt when the Achaemenids ruled (sometime around the 6th century BCE). The recorded customs of lighting fires, sprinkling water, special food and clothes, presents, and the procession of an Emir hold similarities to records of the Persian festival, in addition to the name being Persian in origin. Another is that it was a localized adaption of Saturnalia, a winter festival which lifted social and legal restrictions and involved choosing a mock king. It is also considered that it may have been of ancient Egyptian origin, which was claimed by medieval Muslim writers, who stated it was a festival honoring the stars. Some favor this while others consider it unlikely, as no record of public revelry exists before Islamic rule in Egypt and the adoption of the name from Persia would be strange.
A derivation from a Coptic word ⲛⲓⲓⲁⲣⲱⲟⲩ, "the rivers", is considered improbable, as the it does not occur anywhere in the Synaxarium, and there is no evidence of the use of the supposed Coptic etymon in historical sources. The recorded Bohairic name for the new year was ⲡⲓⲭⲗⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ϯⲣⲟⲙⲡⲓ pi-khlom ente-tirompi, "the crown of the year."
During the reign of Khosrow II (r. 590–628), the Persians reached Egypt for the second time in history, and established control for a decade (Sasanian Egypt). According to Touraj Daryaee, the celebration of Nayrouz in Egypt may be one of the lasting Sasanian influences in Egypt.
Its celebration falls on the 1st day of the month of Thout, the first month of the Egyptian year, which for AD 1901 to 2098 usually coincides with 11 September, except before a Gregorian leap year when it begins September 12.
The ancient Egyptian festival celebrated on the first of Thout was called the Opening of the Year. It celebrated the birth and death of Osiris and The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys was recited at the start, where afterwards feasting and drinking commenced.
The other names for this festival included "coming-out of Sothis", "beginning of the year" and "birth of Re", and in the New Kingdom it and the next two days may have been a public holiday where workers had time off. There are accounts of lighting fires, torches, or candles at night at this time or during ceremonies, and record exists of a banquet occurring the night before, possibly held near the tomb, and which was accompanied by making offerings to the dead. Water was collected from the Nile prior to this date and used in purification rituals. Buildings, statues, and occasionally obelisks were consecrated at this time. Incense was offered during the consecration and to the dead. Other offerings were made to the dead as well. The statues of the dead had their clothes changed, eye paint applied, and the Opening of the Mouth ritual was performed. Offerings were also made to the gods (including the Pharaoh) and temples, a notable offering being cloth, and the pharaoh gave out cloth to the common people as well. These bear some similarities to the later practices associated with Nayrouz.
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Nayrouz
Nayrouz (Arabic: النيروز, Coptic: ⲡⲓⲭⲗⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ϯⲣⲟⲙⲡⲓ, lit. 'the crown of the year') is a feast when martyrs and confessors are commemorated within the Coptic Orthodox Church. Celebrated on September 11, the day is both the start of the Coptic new year and its first month, Thout. Nayrouz is also commemorated by Ethiopian Christians who also call it Enkutatash. Children wear new clothes and give bouquets of flowers to people.
Despite having religious connotations and being mainly celebrated by the Coptic Christian community today, the festival used to be much more widespread and celebrated by both Christian and Muslim Egyptians. However, due to repressions by the central government, it lost much of its significance as a popular festival. When it was popular, Muslim scholars such as Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn al-Hajj al-Abdari urged Muslim laity to not participate in Coptic festivals, especially this one. Ibn Taymiyya laid out a discussion of rituals, time, and place and stated none should be imitated.
The name of the feast comes from the Iranian festival of Nowruz (Persian: نوروز, lit. 'new day'), which originated in Ancient Iran, which is widely celebrated in the Middle East up to this day. There are a few theories about the origin of Nayrouz as celebrated by Copts. One is that it was introduced to Egypt when the Achaemenids ruled (sometime around the 6th century BCE). The recorded customs of lighting fires, sprinkling water, special food and clothes, presents, and the procession of an Emir hold similarities to records of the Persian festival, in addition to the name being Persian in origin. Another is that it was a localized adaption of Saturnalia, a winter festival which lifted social and legal restrictions and involved choosing a mock king. It is also considered that it may have been of ancient Egyptian origin, which was claimed by medieval Muslim writers, who stated it was a festival honoring the stars. Some favor this while others consider it unlikely, as no record of public revelry exists before Islamic rule in Egypt and the adoption of the name from Persia would be strange.
A derivation from a Coptic word ⲛⲓⲓⲁⲣⲱⲟⲩ, "the rivers", is considered improbable, as the it does not occur anywhere in the Synaxarium, and there is no evidence of the use of the supposed Coptic etymon in historical sources. The recorded Bohairic name for the new year was ⲡⲓⲭⲗⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ϯⲣⲟⲙⲡⲓ pi-khlom ente-tirompi, "the crown of the year."
During the reign of Khosrow II (r. 590–628), the Persians reached Egypt for the second time in history, and established control for a decade (Sasanian Egypt). According to Touraj Daryaee, the celebration of Nayrouz in Egypt may be one of the lasting Sasanian influences in Egypt.
Its celebration falls on the 1st day of the month of Thout, the first month of the Egyptian year, which for AD 1901 to 2098 usually coincides with 11 September, except before a Gregorian leap year when it begins September 12.
The ancient Egyptian festival celebrated on the first of Thout was called the Opening of the Year. It celebrated the birth and death of Osiris and The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys was recited at the start, where afterwards feasting and drinking commenced.
The other names for this festival included "coming-out of Sothis", "beginning of the year" and "birth of Re", and in the New Kingdom it and the next two days may have been a public holiday where workers had time off. There are accounts of lighting fires, torches, or candles at night at this time or during ceremonies, and record exists of a banquet occurring the night before, possibly held near the tomb, and which was accompanied by making offerings to the dead. Water was collected from the Nile prior to this date and used in purification rituals. Buildings, statues, and occasionally obelisks were consecrated at this time. Incense was offered during the consecration and to the dead. Other offerings were made to the dead as well. The statues of the dead had their clothes changed, eye paint applied, and the Opening of the Mouth ritual was performed. Offerings were also made to the gods (including the Pharaoh) and temples, a notable offering being cloth, and the pharaoh gave out cloth to the common people as well. These bear some similarities to the later practices associated with Nayrouz.