The hotels in Hurghada are packed: as they write in the Egyptian press, tourists from 25 countries have gathered at the country’s resorts to join the oldest holiday in Egypt. In the land of the Pyramids, today began a holiday celebrated since 2700 BC — the so-called Sham el-Nessim — this is a holiday of the end of winter and the beginning of spring (and the seasons in Ancient Egypt were calculated by the floods of the Nile): they began to celebrate this day around the beginning of this May even the ancient Egyptians.
The press noted that hotels in Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh, and Marsa Alam were filled with European and local tourists preparing to celebrate the holiday.
As for the holiday tourist flow, as reported by Saleh Al-Suhaji, the head of one of the tourist villages on the Red Sea, at the resorts of Hurghada and Marsa Alam there is a noticeable increase in occupancy from foreign and domestic tourism. During the Sham El Nessim holiday, the number of confirmed reservations varies from 80 to 95%. Moreover, Hurghada welcomes tourists from about 25 different nationalities.
As Chef Ali Nahi added, special celebrations are held during Sham El Nessim with the participation of several foreign tourists. Festive dishes include salted fish, colored eggs, hummus, and other dishes. Tourists are promised dance parties and themed photographs.
Our information: Sham el-Nessim is considered to be one of the traditions of the Egyptians from very ancient times. They say that the Egyptians have been celebrating this ancient spring holiday since 2700 BC (third dynasty of the Old Kingdom) and it is connected with the agricultural past of the ancient Egyptians. This is a holiday for the beginning of spring and agricultural work, which in ancient times the Egyptians celebrated on the day of the spring equinox. They determined the date by the direction of sunlight at sunrise over the pyramids. When Egypt came under the rule of the Roman Empire, the holiday was gradually “timed” to coincide with the celebration of Christian Easter. As a result, Sham el-Nessim in Egypt remained a national holiday, celebrated by both Muslims and Christians in Egypt on the first Monday after Coptic Orthodox Easter.
By the way, tourists are warned: it is rather not recommended to try one of the holiday dishes. The Egyptians prepare a special dish — “fesikh”, which includes salted fish, decorated with herbs and beans. The fact is that the fish is salted and marinated for several months, and in general it is an Egyptian analog of fugu fish, the preparation of which is a real art, the secrets of which are passed on from generation to generation. A mistake can easily lead to poisoning, and, as tourists are warned, this happens on holidays.