Dancing, henna, and blessing the saints.. What do you know about popular birthdays in Egypt?
Some may think that what the term “mawlid” reflects is the celebration of a person’s birthday as it appears at first glance from its lexical term, but the matter is not necessarily limited to that, as the main purpose of the moulid was to increase social cohesion by gathering people around a specific idea and place.
The Egyptians are famous for their distinctive and unique custom, which is holding popular birthdays on a regular basis to celebrate religious occasions, Islamic or Christian, whether holidays or the day of the birth or death of one of the righteous saints.
The history of Egypt, throughout its various eras, knew a number of religious ceremonies that melted into the fabric of society, and were associated with manifestations of special rituals that infiltrated the popular heritage in the culture of the Egyptians, and were associated with offering vows and offerings to certain religious symbols.
From the Pharaohs to the Fatimids
Many historical references and literary studies indicate that the popular celebrations of the birthdays of saints and saints are a historical extension of what the ancient Egyptians used to do in their celebrations of the birthdays of the pharaohs and gods, as one of its most important features was the reverence for the one who was celebrated.
Among the most important features that are considered inherited in birthdays from ancient times, and many of them are derived from the days of the Pharaohs, henna, dancing, blessing the saints, and lighting candles.
Throughout history, birthdays provided an opportunity for Egyptians of all levels and backgrounds to meet, and a place where city dwellers gather with village and rural residents of all sects and ages, to listen to chanting and supplication, and to celebrate and commemorate the birth.
With the entry of Islam into Egypt in the year 642 AD, the culture of religious celebrations became devoid of reverence for people, and was represented in specific religious occasions, such as the symbolic celebration of the month of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The situation continued in this case until the Fatimids took over the rule of Egypt and established their rule there in the year 969 AD, so they introduced the culture of popular and religious celebrations, among which was the celebration of God’s saints, “the birthdays”, and feasts that were held out of propaganda for the Fatimid state and its rulers.
The birthdays in Egypt are divided into more than one category, foremost of which are public religious events such as the birth of the Prophet of Islam Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, the celebration of the first of the Hijri year, the night of the Isra’ and Mi’raj, the night of the middle of Sha’ban, the Virgin Mary, the martyr Margis, and Saint Demiana.
Then comes the birthdays of saints, such as “the birthday of Al-Hussein, Mrs. Zainab, and the birthdays of the founders and sheikhs of the Sufi orders.”
Thousands of births from the Delta to Upper Egypt
Some may think that what the term “mawlid” reflects is the celebration of a person’s birthday as it appears at first glance from its lexical expression, but its axis is related to the glorification of a religious figure and the commemoration of it, regardless of observing a specific calendar that accurately determines his birth.
The goal of the birthday is usually to promote belief in the person of the saint or saint, but the matter is not necessarily limited to that, as the main goal of the birthday was also to increase social cohesion by gathering people around a specific idea and place.
According to several studies, there is no specific number of birthdays in Egypt, while the Egyptian Association for Popular Traditions says that the number of Islamic and Christian birthdays is about 2,850, attended by about 40 million people annually.
The birthdays are spread in all the governorates of Egypt from the Delta to Upper Egypt, Cairo and Alexandria, and the Islamic and Christian birthdays are similar, as these birthdays spread in the cities, centers and villages of Egypt from all the governorates without exception.
shrines and processions
Whether the birthday is Christian or Islamic, there are almost constant rituals in the celebrations, which is visiting the shrine, walking in a large procession carrying the flags of the Sufi orders, or meeting priests and deacons in Christian processions.
As for the practices themselves that express the contents of the birthdays, they are evident in visits to shrines and evocation of songs and narrations that express the most important stations in the life of the saints, and some of the religious texts.
Islamic birthdays are distinguished by the dhikr circles, in which the devotees gather and form a circle or several circles behind each other, with the sheikh of the method or the leader of the dhikr circle in the middle, and shake their bodies, in a semi-circular movement, and chant the word “God” collectively.
Music is used in dhikr, and folk songs are recited, consisting of poetic pieces that are memorized through oral narration and sung to the accompaniment of music.
The births of Egyptian Christians were known in the Egyptian popular culture because they are closely linked to the stories of saints and martyrs among Christians who fell victim to campaigns of persecution in the era of Emperor Diocletian. Celebrations and prayers are held for them that honor their lives, sanctify them, and ask for intercession from them.
Rahma Qader,