The Lychnapsia, ancient Egypt

The Lychnapsia (Lignapsia; Aset Webenut; Isis the Luminous One), ancient Egypt

The Egyptian Lychnapsia, or Festival of Lights, was over the centuries transformed into the Christian day of St Clare of Assisi (whose feast day was formerly August 12, but moved by the Catholic Church to August 11, qv). It is a day for the lighting of candles, like Candlemas (February 2), or Imbolc as it is known in the Celtic tradition.

In the case of the Lychnapsia (the Graeco-Roman term for what the Egyptions called Aset Webenut, or Aset the Luminous One), the candles were to help Isis find her husband, Osiris ...

Categories: ancient-egypt, calendar-customs, folklore, deity, religion