They did have one. It was called the Sed Festival and celebrated during the 30th year of their reign, if they made it that far. Some of them had even two! It may remind you of some British Queens. Link here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sed_festival
And, of course, a celebratory picture below. Note those conuses on their heads. These were from a soft material and melted during the day, releasing perfumes.
And, of course, a celebratory picture below. Note those conuses on their heads. These were from a soft material and melted during the day, releasing perfumes.
Credit for picture here
...and, of course, here is the relevant passage from Spear of Seth:
I waited for a few minutes and finally dared to raise my eyes over the edge of the boat. A ship sailed by, so close that it almost ran me over. It headed to the left shore, where a group of similar vessels was anchored next to a stone embankment. Tightly packed, square houses stood further inland. A myriad people bustled about the harbor . Most of the men were dressed in a short triangular white loincloth. Only a few of them wore colorful sashes. In comparison, women wore long white pleated gowns with sleeves so wide they resembled wings. The men looked somewhat spare, the women beautiful. Some of both—the rich ones, I supposed— wore wide collars and necklaces, all gold and brilliant gems, which contrasted with their shoulder-length black hair.
Their most striking feature was, however, their eyes. These were large, taking up nearly half their faces. I thought that they were made to look bigger with kohl, but even the men’s eyes were not quite the normal size. I concluded that this was some sort of biological adaptation that allowed them to see better than I as a surface-dweller could in the relatively dim light of the Underworld. It crossed my mind they ought to be dead, this place being the Underworld. But they looked very much alive. It was a world time had forgotten, so rarely seen by people living under blue skies that it had turned into a legend. I contemplated landing, but the sight of soldiers, briskly moving among the crowd, changed my mind. I let my “boat” move in the swift current, until it reached a broad curve in the river and the city passed out of my sight.
...and, of course, here is the relevant passage from Spear of Seth:
I waited for a few minutes and finally dared to raise my eyes over the edge of the boat. A ship sailed by, so close that it almost ran me over. It headed to the left shore, where a group of similar vessels was anchored next to a stone embankment. Tightly packed, square houses stood further inland. A myriad people bustled about the harbor . Most of the men were dressed in a short triangular white loincloth. Only a few of them wore colorful sashes. In comparison, women wore long white pleated gowns with sleeves so wide they resembled wings. The men looked somewhat spare, the women beautiful. Some of both—the rich ones, I supposed— wore wide collars and necklaces, all gold and brilliant gems, which contrasted with their shoulder-length black hair.
Their most striking feature was, however, their eyes. These were large, taking up nearly half their faces. I thought that they were made to look bigger with kohl, but even the men’s eyes were not quite the normal size. I concluded that this was some sort of biological adaptation that allowed them to see better than I as a surface-dweller could in the relatively dim light of the Underworld. It crossed my mind they ought to be dead, this place being the Underworld. But they looked very much alive. It was a world time had forgotten, so rarely seen by people living under blue skies that it had turned into a legend. I contemplated landing, but the sight of soldiers, briskly moving among the crowd, changed my mind. I let my “boat” move in the swift current, until it reached a broad curve in the river and the city passed out of my sight.
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