‘Sham el-Naseem’ Egyptian Festival
Saturday 18 April from 12pm to 4pm
Sham el-Naseem, “smelling the breeze”, is an ancient Egyptian festival that marks the start of spring. Join us for an Egyptian day with picnicking, authentic Egyptian food, music, family friendly activities.
It is one of Egypt’s most significant national festivals, which has its origins in the ancient Shemu festival which marked the onset of the agricultural season. This festival will bring the essence of Egypt to life for one day, showcasing time-honoured ways of celebration.
During this time, Egyptians would present salted fish and various delicacies to different deities, likely aligning the event with the spring equinox – a celestial occurrence historically tied to the alignment of the sun with the Pyramids. As Arab cultural influences grew, the festival's name transformed into Sham El-Nessim, adopting new elements that shape today's celebrations.
The Chau Chak Wing Museum will bring this authentic Egyptian festival alive for the second year at the University of Sydney with activities such as picnicking on the lawns, authentic Egyptian cuisine, live musical performances, and a range of other family-friendly activities.