Egyptian calendar

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/egyptian-calendar

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How long is Egyptian calendar?365 days
2. What is the primary calendar type?Solar civil calendar
3. What is the seasonal division?Three seasons (Akhet, Peret, Shemu) of 120 days each
4. What is the Egyptian civil calendar and why was it important?It was a 365‑day year that split the year into three seasons. The calendar helped farmers plant and harvest, and it guided taxes and festivals.
5. How did the Egyptians divide the year into seasons, months, and days?Each season had 120 days, made of four months of 30 days each. After the 360 days, five extra days were added for special celebrations.

Heliacal rising of Sirius (Sopdet): The first appearance of the star Sirius just before sunrise, a key astronomical event marking the Egyptian New Year.
Epagomenal days: Five supplementary days added to the end of the Egyptian year, often associated with divine birthdays and festivals.
Annus vagus: Latin for 'wandering year', a term used to describe the Egyptian calendar due to its gradual drift from the solar year.
Intercalary month: An extra month added periodically to a calendar to keep it synchronized with astronomical or seasonal cycles.