Herodotus[among many other early Greek and Roman writers] was incredibly impressed with this [agricultural related] festivities in the Central Nile Delta. It's what inspired him to declare in his book(s): "Of all the nations of the world, the Egyptians are the happiest,healthiest and most religious". Yes indeed!

The Egyptians viewed/view these festivals as part of human existence, which constitutes the rhythm of the life of community and individual alike. This rhythm results from the order of cosmic life.

During 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) and their renewal cycles were manifested. All early Greek and Roman writers affirmed this Ancient Egyptian tradition; 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. . ."

The present-day name for the annual renewal festival is mouled/moulid/mawlid, literally meaning (renewed) birthday. 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 mouleds (except for Mohammed’s and those of his immediate family) are a continuation of Ancient Egyptian festivals, camouflaged under Islamic names..

In the typical Egyptian story form, forty days after Isis’ birthday [see last page in this chapter] - i.e. on 6 Babeh/ Phaophi (17 October) - Isis was impregnated by Osiris. Accordingly, Ancient (and present-day) Egyptians planted seeds throughout Egypt on this date in a special mouled with special rituals to ensure a successful harvest.

Planting is the burying of seed into earth. As such, planting is associated with burial—death that leads to a resurrection (i.e. sprouting). This beautiful analogy was described by Plutarch in his Moralia, Vol. V (377, 65), where we read:

". . . the Egyptians say that Osiris is being buried at the time when the grain is sown and covered in the earth and that he comes to life and reappears when plants begin to sprout. For this reason also it is said that Isis, when she perceived that she was pregnant, put upon herself an amulet on the sixth day of the month Phaophi" [equivalent to 17 October in the Latin calendar]. . .

Osiris represents the process, growth, and underlying cyclical aspects of the universe—the principle that makes life come from apparent death. The most impressive representation of the concept of regeneration, namely Osiris, is the illustration depicting Osiris with 28 stalks of wheat growing out of his coffin. [See an illustration later in this chapter.]

On this very prominent day, present-day Egyptians commemorate one of three major annual mouleds of Sidi el Badawi in Tanta, where the official attendance is more than two million people.

=> 40 days after planting the seeds, the Egyptians celebrated/celebrate the event of the Last Supper and the Loss of Osiris. -- and that will lead to a discussion of the American Thanksgiving Day, Advent, Christmas and New Year's Day in the "Latin" calendar ---- and Epiphany!

[Excerpts from Egyptian Mystics: Seekers of The way by Moustafa Gadalla]

View Book @ { https://egyptianwisdomcenter.org/product/egyptian-mystics-seekers-of-the-way-2nd-edition/}