ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Navigium Isidis

Navigium Isidis was a festival that was celebrated a long, long time ago in ancient Rome. It was a holiday that was dedicated to the goddess Isis, who was the goddess of fertility, love, and magic.

People would celebrate this festival by having big processions, which means they would walk in a big group together, sometimes wearing special clothes and carrying things that were important to them. They would walk around the city and go to different temples to offer gifts to the goddess Isis.

One of the most important parts of the festival was a big boat race that took place on the Tiber River. People would make little boats out of papyrus (a type of plant), and then they would put candles on them and float them down the river. This was supposed to symbolize the journey of the goddess Isis from Egypt to Rome.

The reason why people celebrated Navigium Isidis is because they believed that the goddess Isis brought fertility and prosperity to the land. They thought that by celebrating this festival, they could make sure that the crops would grow, the animals would be healthy, and the people would have good luck.

Today, we don't celebrate Navigium Isidis anymore, but we can still learn about the traditions and beliefs of ancient Rome. We can also remember the importance of nature and the environment, and how much we still depend on them for our survival.