Smelling of the Breeze

Egyptians on Monday celebrated their rite of spring, known as Sham El Nessim. It means "Smelling of the Breeze," one of the most wonderful names of any holiday I can think of. Sham el Nessim is a unifying national holiday. Traditionally, it is observed on the Monday after Egyptian Copts celebrate Easter, but it is not a Christian ritual. In fact, it supposedly dates to Pharaonic times, well before Islam arrived in Egypt.

Sham el Nessim is a day to take a deep breath and spend time with the family. For generations, well-to-do Egyptians have taken lunch at tourist hotels like the Mena House, which overlooks the Giza Pyramids. The main thing to do is simply to go outdoors and enjoy the spring air. In cities like Cairo, people cram into every available patch of green space, including the medial strips between traffic lanes. In the afternoon, my daughter and I took a walk along the Nile River embankment, one of the most popular places to go, and watched thouands of Egyptians enjoying simple family picnics. Out on the river, others were enjoying afternoon outings on high-masted sail boats called feluccas.

Lots of folks were eating salted fish and spring onions, main staples for the occasion. We didn't notice any color-dyed eggs, as in the Easter tradition, another feature of Sham el Nessim. Coloring eggs, as a symbol of fertility, dates to ancient times in Egypt as well as other parts of the world. Drinking apricot juice is another custom. In contrast with some religious observances like Ramadan, which have become increasingly overrun by commercialism, Sham el Nessim is still a modest affair. Children are typically presented with some new clothes and perhaps a toy (like the party hats sold by our friendly pavement vendor, below), but that's about it.

The weather gods were kind to Egypt this year. After several days made windy, dusty and hot by the perennial Saharan sandstorm known as the Khamsin, we Cairenes were lucky to have blue, relatively unpolluted skies. Tradition has it that the air of Sham el Nessim is particularly auspicious for your health. Some Egyptians sleep with onions under their pillow, believing it can bring them luck on the day of smelling the breeze. A nice custom, a nice occasion and a nice day to be an Egyptian.

--By Scott MacLeod/Cairo