By 500 BCE, Egypt had already been celebrating religious festivals for over a millennium. One of the most revered was the Opet Festival, held annually in Thebes (modern-day Luxor). It celebrated the god Amun and involved a grand procession from Karnak to Luxor Temple. Pharaohs used this occasion to reaffirm their divine authority, and citizens feasted, sang, and danced in the streets. These festivals weren’t just spiritual—they were political, reinforcing the sacred power of the rulers. Another notable celebration was the Wepet Renpet, or “Opening of the Year,” marking the annual Nile flood, which brought fertility to the land.
