Sham El-Nessim

Sham el-Nessim, or "Smelling/Taking In of the Zephyrs is an Egyptian national holiday marking the beginning of spring. It always falls on the day after the Eastern Christian Easter , so that it always comes on Monday

Despite the Christian-related date, the holiday is celebrated by Egyptians of all religions , so it is considered a national festival, rather than a religious one.

this festival is being celebrated in Egypt since the pharaonic time . known as Shemu, which means a day of creation.

the Ancient Egyptians used to offer salted fish, lettuce, and onions to their deities on this day.

The main features of the festival are:

• People spend all day out picnicking in any space of green, public gardens, on the Nile, or at the zoo.

• Traditional food eaten on this day consists mainly of fesikh (a fermented, salted and dried grey mullet), lettuce, scallions or green onions, tirmis, and colored boiled eggs.