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The Egyptian Calendar

© Jodee Redmond

The Egyptian calendar came into use in approximately 4241 BC. The god Thoth is said to have invented the 365-day calendar. Thoth was worshipped as the god of wisdom, the inventor of numbers and writing, and the moon. He was also the "measurer of time".

In ancient Egypt, a year lasted for 360 days. Five additional days were added at the beginning of the year. These were feast days, and people would look forward to the celebration.

There were three seasons: Inundation (June 21st to October 21st), Emergence (October 21st to February 21st), and Summer (February 21st to June 21st). Each month was 30 days long.

June 21 was the beginning of the year. Ancient Egyptians waited for the star Sirius (constellation Canis Major) to appear. It was called "the going up of the goddess Sothis". Sothis was the goddess associated with the constellation Orion. The star could be seen just before dawn and is very bright to this day. It forms the dog's nose in the Canis Major constellation.

This calendar was used until approximately 1000 BC, when the Egyptians switched to a solar (based on the movements of the sun) calendar. This calendar had 12 months with 30 days in each month. Five extra days were added at the end of the year to bring it to 365 days - just like our calendar today!

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