Family life was very important to Ancient Egyptians. They placed a lot of value on having a happy household.
Children were considered to be blessings from the gods, which meant that their families took exceptionally good care of them.
Since children were viewed as such blessings, everyone wanted to have them. They would pray to the gods and goddesses that they worshiped so that they would be blessed with more children.
Marriage in Ancient Egypt
Marriage in Ancient Egypt was different in a lot of ways from what it is like today. First of all, they were much younger when they got married.
Peasant girls would usually get married around the age of 12, with peasant boys only being a little bit older. This was done mostly because people didn’t live as long back in those days.
On the other hand, wealthy girls would usually get to get married when they were a bit older. They did not, however, get to choose who they would marry.
Most marriages were arranged by the parents of the boy and girl. The parents would create a prenuptial agreement.
This agreement would usually include a stipulation that the new wife would get an allowance from her new husband.
These contracts also said that anything the wife brought to the marriage would always belong to her, even if the marriage ended.
Both man and wife could own land, though the husband usually took care of it.
Divorce was, of course, not all that common, though it did happen. Divorce usually only happened if the husband mistreated his wife.
In the case of divorce, the woman would be given the children. She could also remarry if she wanted to do so.
Unlike lots of ancient societies, women in Ancient Egypt were given the same level of equality to men. Even though this was the case, they were still expected to obey the men in their life.
Women were allowed to participate in business and could help run the household with their husbands.
If they were from royal families, women could also help to make royal decisions. They still, however, had to defer to pharaoh in all cases.
Egyptian wives were respected and often ran businesses and farms in the case of their husband’s death or if they were away. Some women also worked as dancers, singers, or musicians.
Ancient Egyptian Children
Egyptian boys would be taught the same craft or trade that their father did when they were young. Girls would usually learn a craft or trade from their mother.
If the family was wealthy, boys would be sent to school around the age of seven. Girls did not usually receive any formal schooling, though some did learn to read and write.
If both parents passed away, then the boys of the family would inherit the land. The girls would get the household items and any jewelry.
If, however, there were no boys in the family, the daughters would receive everything.
In poor families, the mother would take care of the children, while in wealthier families would have nannies and maids to help raise the children.
Ancient Egyptian Fashion
When it came to fashion for children, young girls usually wore their hair in pigtails, while boys would usually have their heads shaved except for one long lock of hair that would be braided.
Adults would usually wear wigs so that their hair was always in the latest style.
Clothing did not change very much over the entire length of time that the empire was in power. The clothing that was worn was highly dependent on how wealthy a family was.
Wealthy families wore linens that were very soft, while poorer families only had enough money for rougher fabrics.
Men wore their clothing in a kilt, with younger men preferring shorter versions and older men going for longer ones.
Women usually wore beaded dresses if they were of a higher rank. Due to the extreme heat in the summertime, children usually didn’t wear any clothing.
What they did for Entertainment
When it came to entertainment, Egyptians enjoyed participating in many different festivals. These festivals were usually held to honor the gods. During these times, no one worked.
Ancient Egyptians also enjoyed fishing and traveling on boats on the Nile. They also created many types of board games that they could play in their homes.
More Ancient Egypt facts.
