Zham en-Nessiya in Egypt (Festival of “floral aroma” - Sham Ennessim)

Zham en-Nessim is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful and long-awaited holidays in Egypt Translated into Russian, this unpronounceable word means “the aroma of the west wind” or “the aroma of flowers” This day symbolizes the beginning of work in agriculture and the arrival of spring It is celebrated by residents throughout the country on the first Monday after the end of Coptic Easter This holiday is one of the oldest on the planet and has a rather interesting history Around 2700 BC e During the reign of the pharaohs, Jam en-Nessim was celebrated in honor of the sun god named Amun The event coincided with the peak season of the Nile River, before work on agricultural land At that time, people made sacrifices to the spirits, giving them fish and vegetables, and appeased the gods in the hope of a rich harvest The Egyptians were able to carry this custom with minimal amendments through the centuries Even in the notes of Plutarch, there is evidence confirming that at the arrival of spring, the ancestors gave various dishes as gifts to the spirits, including fish, green onions, etc The day coincided with the beginning of the spring equinox During the Christian period, Jam en-Nessim was combined with Easter And with the beginning of Islam, it was moved to the Monday following Easter Officially, “Floral Aroma” is a day off This date has nothing to do with one religion or another Regardless of religion, residents of the state always celebrate it, observing ancient traditions For example, it is best to spend this day in nature Egyptians are confident that clean air can cure any disease and give strength for the whole year That is why adults and children go to country picnics, to the zoo, beaches and parks Tourists from all over the world join them with interest At the time of the celebration of Jam en-Nessim, people seem to join nature awakening after a long winter, welcoming the arrival of the new season with it But still, the most important moment in the holiday is, of course, the table As a rule, the feast ends very quickly and obeys certain principles First of all, Egyptians are not used to having long meals: they eat quite quickly, without paying much attention to the rules of etiquette and the use of cutlery Also, during the feast they do not drink alcoholic beverages, much less make toasts If you are really thirsty, you can pour a glass of water Preparatory activities for the celebration begin long ago, because it takes several months to properly prepare a traditional dish (fesikh) This culinary masterpiece consists of salted mullet with herbs and beans, which begin to be marinated just a few months in advance As you know, in Egypt, fish symbolizes a rich harvest and family wealth The ancient recipe is quite complex Local residents highly respect ancient traditions, without revealing their secrets to strangers Any mistake can cause severe food poisoning, which often happens on holidays Nowadays, fesikh is often replaced with salted tuna, sardine or mackerel In addition, if you stick to the traditional recipe, the finished dish has a rather specific aroma that not everyone will like A mandatory attribute of the table is green onions Residents of Egypt are convinced that it will help drive out evil spirits According to an ancient legend, this vegetable crop was able to cure one of the pharaohs, dearly revered in the country There are also decorated eggs on the table In earlier times, they were used to decorate not only meals, but also local temples The Egyptians considered eggs to be a symbol of rebirth and the beginning of a new life path In addition, a lot of plant foods are served on the table