#Attic Calendar celebrations

[d-tp]

Some modernised ancient holidays I celebrate (and how) as a Deist/Hellenic Thoughtform Polytheist

•Lenaia - 2 through 4 Jan (watch comedy theatre, drink wine, spend time with family and friends, pray to Dionysus)

•Aphrodite Day - 14 Feb (pray to Aphrodite, bring offerings to altar, spend time with partner, exchange gifts with partner)

•Dionysia - spring equinox 2025-20-March (watch tragedy theatre, drink wine, decorate for spring, spend time with family and friends, pray and bring offerings to Dionysus)

•Arrhephoria - 3 June (clean house, bake apples, decorate for summer, spend time with family and friends, play board games, pray to Athena, bring offerings to altar)

•Summer Solstice - 2025-20-June (spend time with family and friends, drink, pray and bring offerings)

•Autumn Equinox - 2025-22-Sept (clean house, bake apples, decorate for autumn, pray)

•Samhain - 31 Oct-1 Nov (pray to Melinoë, bring offerings to the dead, spend time with family and friends, take down Samhain decorations on 1 Nov)

•Winter solstice - 2024-21-Dec, 2025-21-Dec (spend time with family and friends, bake pomegranate goat roast, decorate for winter, pray, bring offerings to Persephone and Hades)

• Haloa - 22 Dec (spend time with female friends, drink, pray and bring offerings to Demeter and Dionysus)

[cj-schlatt]

Rewind

Pairing: Schlatt x gn!reader (no pronouns, no use of y/n)

Word Count: ~780

Summary: What do you get as a gift for someone who has it all?

Content: Fluff, pet names (angel). Schlatt and reader are childhood best friends who recently reconnected :)

A/N: Hi! This is my first attempt at writing for Schlatt. Let me know how I did! :)

You’ve been stressing ever since you flipped the calendar page over this morning. Your first anniversary with Schlatt is this month, the date marked with a heart, and you have no idea what you’re going to get him.

What do you get as a gift for someone who has it all?

You’re in your parents’ attic, helping them to clean it up a bit, when you find the answer to your dilemma.

You come across an unmarked cardboard box, which by itself isn’t unusual; you’ve already sorted through a dozen just like it. What makes it special is what you find inside—it’s filled with VHS-C tapes from your family’s old camcorder. You’ve just stumbled upon a treasure trove of memories.

You know for a fact that there is footage of Schlatt within these tapes, from birthday celebrations to stupid “movies” the two of you made together. As you pick up a tape, labeled with both of your names and the date it was captured, you start to form a plan.

Your childhood bedroom is exactly as you left it when you moved out, down to the old CRT TV and combination VHS and DVD player. After some quick Googling, you’re turning on the TV and popping the first tape, along with a blank DVD, into the player.

Static. Then, a picture comes into view: a grainy scene of a much younger version of you in front of a birthday cake, Schlatt right at your side as he and the rest of the party-goers sing “Happy Birthday” and you blow out the candles. You can’t help but smile at the display.

The video continues, showing you tearing into your birthday presents (with Schlatt right there to help you, of course). You’re transported back to that day, long forgotten until now, where you almost had more fun playing with the wrapping paper and tissue paper than the actual presents you received.

Soon, the first tape ends. If all went well, it should be copied onto the DVD now. You stay up well into the night converting tapes, too excited revisiting old memories to want to continue later.

The next day, phase two of your plan begins, with you uploading the new DVDs to your computer and putting your video editing skills to the test. You’re grinning like an idiot when it’s finally done.

You just hope Schlatt will like it.

You’re pretty sure he will.

It’s a few weeks later when the big day finally arrives. You can’t even count how many times you’ve had to hold yourself back from giving him his gift early, so excited to see his reaction.

You’re practically vibrating when you lead him to the living room and turn the TV on.

“What’s all this about?” he asks, plopping down on the couch.

“You’ll see,” you say, smiling as you connect your laptop to the TV.

You watch with him as little you and Schlatt are projected onto the big screen. You join him on the couch, listening to your younger self introduce your imagined audience to what the two of you creatively titled “The Dumb Idiots Show.”

You glance over at Schlatt, who is completely glued to the TV. You think you see that his eyes are glistening a little, reflecting the light of the screen, but you don’t say anything, just let the video continue.

The video came out pretty damn good, if you do say so yourself. It had been so much fun reliving these memories, and it’s even better now that you get to share them with your best friend, the one who was with you for all of it.

Eventually, the screen fades to black, and the room falls silent.

“Wow,” is the first thing Schlatt says. He leans back into the couch, running a hand through his hair.

“Did you like it?” you ask, not quite able to keep the nervousness out of your voice.

“Are you kidding?” he asks, voice tinged with disbelief. “I loved it.”

“Really?”

“Really, angel,” he says, pulling you in for a hug.

You sink into the embrace, relief flooding through you.

“I’m impressed,” he says when you part.

“Hmm?”

“Looks like I’m not the only one with video-making skills around here.”

You grin at him. “I mean, did you see my camera work on episode two of ‘The Dumb Idiots Show?’ I’ve always had a knack for it.”

He laughs. “You oughta start your own channel.”

“Maybe I will,” you say with a little smirk. After a moment, your face softens. “Happy anniversary, J.”

“Happy anniversary,” he echoes, a lovesick smile on his own face as he leans in to kiss you.

A/N: Thanks for reading! :)

[jannacalendar]

I've fished out a load of old Buffy novels from the attic and have stumbled across a bit of a Calendiles goldmine in How I Survived My Summer Vacation. It's a series of short stories set between the first and second seasons about the gang spending the summer slaying while Buffy is visiting her dad. I don't know how many of you own or have read these books, so the highlights include:

« Giles' heart skipped a beat when Jenny glided into the courtyard. »

Upon seeing Jenny, Giles starts reciting Byron’s She Walks in Beauty to himself. This goes: She walks in beauty, like the night / Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that’s best of dark and bright / Meet in her aspect and her eyes…

Xander and Willow, across the short stories, taking it in turn to make little comments of varying degrees of discreetness about whether something is going on between the two of them. Willow enquires about whether Giles needs two tickets for an event because he's taking Ms. Calendar, while Xander is more blunt: « You two have been busy. Alone. Teacher’s in lust, I think. »

Giles being greatful Jenny hasn't disappeared on her « New Age be-in or whatever they were called these days » because he's enjoying getting closer to her.

« Her nearness was intoxicating and distracting. »

Giles gets injured and Jenny refuses to leave him despite all the vampires and the fire around them: « Her dark eyes were all he saw as thick smoke swirled around them both. ‘I love her… I cannot let her die.' »

Despite the Master's bones being stolen, Jenny's first priority is going to Giles in the hospital. She's also taking care of repairs and insurance claims at his apartment while he's admitted. When he's finally discharged they're holding hands.

Jenny and Giles decide to keep Willow and Xander out of harms way over the summer and take over slaying duties for themselves.

Giles has mixed feelings about this because, for as brave as Jenny may be, she's inexperienced and he is distracted by his feelings towards her. He wants to patrol alone to keep her out of danger, which Jenny does not take kindly too: « The macho look does not become you. »

Something appears. Jenny wants to split up and investigate. Giles doesn't. Jenny does anyway: « His brain said he should go left, complementing her action. His gut said he should protect Jenny at all costs. His brain never even stood a chance. »

They are dealing with a shapeshifter and Jenny, Giles, and Angel cannot trust each other. When a second Angel appears? « Instantly, Giles and Jenny moved closer together. »

Jenny tries (and succeeds) to get Giles to go to a fourth of July celebration with her.

« A corner of Jenny’s mouth lifted in a pretty smile, and despite himself, Rupert felt his resolve weakening. »

Giles is being cranky but is simultaneously unable to hide how happy he is to be spending the day with her.

Giles is so used to the Scoobies not caring about his research and ramblings that he is shocked that Jenny actually cares to listen to him.

« She was just so… delightful that sometimes he actually became speechless. »

Jenny calls Giles a stick in the mud then kisses him on the cheek. She later calls him handsome and kisses him.

Also the final story focuses on a travelling theatre troupe that go on murder sprees to match the plays they are putting on and I love that concept, what a fun idea to play with.

[belphegorspillow]

Whoever you wanna write (although I’m particularly soft for Diavolo/Lucifer/Beel/Simeon) finding out MC usually celebrates their birthday alone/doesn’t celebrate

Hi Darling! Thank you for the request! [I can write longer stuff as its less characters woo!] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GN!MC Doesn't Celebrate Their Birthday Characters: Diavolo, Lucifer, Beel and Simeon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucifer

~ Lucifer is dating Mc and he saw their birthday coming up on his calendar ~ He starts to plan out a small date for the both of you to go on and gets a gift he knows you will love. ~ Then the night before, he would be sitting with you and his brothers where Levi brings up that its Mc's birthday. ~ "Oh, I don't celebrate my birthday. So don't worry about doing anything special for it." ~ Once he heard that, he knew what he had to do. ~ He stays up all night to prepare something special for you to wake up to! ~ He goes out to collect some scented candles, roses, and anything that he thinks would make the day special ~ He tells Diavolo he isn't working as its Mc's birthday. He will spend the entire day with you ~ Once you wake up, you are greeted with breakfast in bed with a large bouquet of roses. ~ During the day, you both will go out and do different things together. ~ When its evening he will take you out to dinner like he planned before. ~ At Dinner he will give you the gifts he had bought for you ~ Once you get back, your shared bedroom has your favourite scented candles lit and roses are all over the room. ~ "I know you said you didn't celebrate your birthday. But I wanted to make you feel special for today. As you are very important to me." ~ You end the day with cuddles [or something more dirty if you prefer]

Beelzebub

~ He will have a reminder on his D.D.D about your birthday and will go up and ask you what you want to do for your birthday ~ "Beel, you don't need to do anything. I don't celebrate my birthday.." ~ He feels sad that you don't celebrate it. ~ He goes and asks Belphie for help on what to do to be able to celebrate your first birthday with him. ~ Belphie helps him bake a cake and to make sure he won't eat the ingredients. ~ Beel will go out and find a few gifts he think you will like [all food themed] ~ When you wake up on your birthday, you are greeted by Beel with a cake. ~ After that he will give you your presents. One of them is going to be an all you can eat voucher for your favourite restaurant ~ He takes you out for the day to different restaurants, where you get free dessert because it's your birthday. ~ While the two of you are out. Belphie is trying his best to clean up his and Beel's room so when you come back you can relax. He will sleep in the attic for the night ~ When you return. Beel is happy to lay in bed with you and cuddle ~ "I know you said you didn't celebrate your birthday. But I wanted to since you deserve to be celebrated. So Belphie and I tried our best to give you a good birthday." ~ How you end your night together is your choice.

Diavolo

~ He is excited for your birthday. He is settling up a party with Barbatos and Lucifer just for you ~ The party is really grand and he hoped you would love it. ~ Though on the night before, he was out with MC walking the garden when they mentioned ~ "Oh, don't worry about celebrating my birthday Dia, I don't celebrate it normally" ~ He changed the plans ~ He stops the grand party and instead changes it to just a day for the two of you. ~ In the morning you will be greeted with Breakfast that barbatos made. ~ Diavolo will invite you out to go to a restaurant that he entirely booked out so you two can be alone for the day ~ When you return, you are greeted by a large pile of gifts that Diavolo got to spoil you with ~ "I know you don't celebrate your birthday. But I wanted to make you special today. Because you are the most important person to me my love." ~ He will end the day with whatever your heart desires :]

Simeon

~ He was getting Luke to bake you a cake, while Solomon was in charge of setting up the small party they were planning inside the Purgatory Hall. ~ Though you accidentally walked in on the surprise the night before your birthday. ~ "You guys don't need to go to this effort to celebrate my birthday. I don't celebrate it myself!" ~ Once you left the group started to plan on what to do. ~ Simeon will greet you in the morning with breakfast in bed before going to take you out for the day ~ He took you out to various cafes he think you will like ~ He takes you out to a gift store and bought you a gift there [but he has one waiting at home for you] ~ Once returning to the Purgatory Hall, you are greeted by Solomon and Luke who had set up a small party for all of you ~ Simeon would give his actual gift to you when you two are alone in your shared room. ~ "I know you don't celebrate your birthday, But Luke, Solomon and I wanted to show how important you are. Especially how important you are to me, MC. " ~ You spend the rest of the night how you choose to :]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Masterlist

[beatingdrumspouringwine]

Dionysian Festivals in History

You'll never believe who procrastinated on their thesis by writing this. (It definitely wasn't me, if anyone's asking.)

One of the more common difficulties that comes with being a Hellenic Polytheist (or, really, any follower of a pre-Christian religion) is a lack of knowledge about how certain festivals were practiced. This problem is especially true in the worship of Dionysos, where many of the practices were unwritten about, due to either common societal knowledge of them, or a more mysterious aspect to them.

I'm going to go over a crash course of historical festivals to Dionysos (using @thegrapeandthefig's Attic Calendar, as is usual), and explain what each festival is, and how it would have been celebrated historically.

We start off at the start of the Gregorian calendar year with Lenaia. This year, it took place from the 22nd to the 29th of January, which translates to the Attic calendar as the 12th to the 19th of Gamelion. There isn't too much information known about what the festival specifically entails, although there are some hints about it on what are known as Lenaia vases. The vases show scenes related to Lenaia and Anthesteria, but scholars are able to differentiate it by looking at what is depicted on the vase (if it's wine, it's Lenaia). Obviously, the drinking of wine was a pretty important part of the festival, as Dionysos' epithet "Lenaios" means "he of the wine-press". There may also have been elements relating to Dionysos' infancy.

The beautiful thing about Lenaia is that it was so vaguely celebrated, historically speaking. There was wine, and perhaps some plays put on, but other than that, a lot of the festival can be left up to the practitioner.

After Lenaia comes Anthesteria, falling this year on February 20th to the 22nd (Anthesterion 11th-13th), and about which there are a good number of resources. This festival was supposed to be* a springtime festival, which was separated into three days: Pithoigia, Choes, and Chytroi, which can be translated as "Jar Opening", "Jugs", and "Pots". It is strange that Anthesteria covers so many themes - new wine, love, and, at the end, death. However, the article Athens' Festival of the New Wine, by Noel Robertson, offers some important insights on this. It seems that the festival commemorated the myth of Icarius and Erigone, which, for the sake of space (and my own time), I'll link to here: Britannica - Erigone. In short, this festival follows their gift of wine, the drinking of this new wine among the mortals, and Icarius and Erigone's deaths at the hands of shepherds, who did not understand the gift they had been given.

Pithoigia: As the translated name suggests, this is the day of the opening of the wine casks which, up until that moment, had been *fermenting throughout the year. From these casks, the Athenians would libate the first wines out to Dionysos. This was also a day where wine was enjoyed by all, not just by Dionysos - Robertson mentions that in ancient Athens, this was the day during which the wine was mixed.

Choes: Choes is day two, which is the day of Jugs. For lack of a better word, this was the most boisterous day of the entire three-day experience. People of all ages and social classes engaged in wine-drinking contests, while in secret, rites were performed in which the wife of the current king was married to Dionysos. There *was also a tradition in which public shrines were roped off, although this seems to be related to the story of Orestes, who was considered to be an unclean man. Strangely enough, despite the boisterous and celebratory connotations of the day, it was also considered to be an unlucky day.

Chytroi: This third day of Anthesteria likely commemorated the deaths of the two followers of Dionysos who were given the gift of wine-making from Him: Icarius and Erigone. Icarius was killed by shepherds, who believed him to be poisoning them, and Erigone killed herself after finding her dead father. This is where the (with *context, somewhat grim) tradition of swinging at the Anthesteria comes from. This was also the day in which the wine was ritually mixed. This, from what I can gather, means that the wine wasn't necessarily mixed for use among mortals, but rather mixed and consecrated to Dionysos Himself.

Ultimately, Anthesteria is an incredibly complex festival, and I've barely scraped the surface on it in this post. The days are a bit mobile in celebratory orders as well, as it seems that many of the fine points of the festival can be moved around.

The next festival we encounter in the Athenian calendar is the City Dionysia, or Greater Dionysia. This year it falls on March 19th-25th (Elaphebolion 11th-16th). Thankfully, this celebration is one with a lot less ambiguity about its traditions, mainly because it's turned out a lot of things which have stuck around in the world, and remain to this day, such as the Greek plays. In short, this was a large festival which took place in Athens, and involved the production and showing of multiple comedies, dramas, and satyr plays. As the patron of the theater, obviously Dionysos' name was attached to it.

Beyond the theatrical aspect of it, many sources show that Dionysian processions were a pretty big part of the historical celebrations. To be perfectly honest, my view on it is almost like a weeklong Dionysian Mardi Gras.

From here, we have a massive jump of almost half a year to the next festival, which is Kybernesia. This year, it takes place on September 10th, or Boedromion 8th. I have my own hot takes on this long span in which there are no Dionysian festivals, but that's going to wait until another post in which I can truly unleash my full opinions upon the world.

The Kybernesia is celebrated in the modern day as a Dionysian festival, but in all the academic sources I found, it is listed as an Athenian naval festival. One source says that it linked to Theseus after he sailed from Crete, which would maybe explain the potential Dionysian connection, as it was on this journey from Crete to Athens that Theseus abandoned Ariadne on the shores of Naxos. However, if anyone else has a more in-depth source on a Dionysian connection to the Kybernesia, I'd be really happy to see it!

At some point during the month of December was held the Rural Dionysia, which is similar to the City Dionysia, but just... more rural, more rustic, perhaps a bit more rowdy. Its celebration was determined by various local governments, so there's a lot of flexibility on when it can be celebrated. According to @thegrapeandthefig's calendar, "Popular choices [for celebration] include the 7th, 8th, 11th, or 14th."

This is where the current list of Dionysian festivals on the Attic calendar ends. However, it's definitely not the end of celebrated Dionysian festivals in general. There were plenty more outside of Athens which don't have as many resources on their historical celebrations (Lampteria being one). I might go over these festivals in some other post, but for now, y'all get the Athenian calendar!

*supposed to be in spring refers to the fact that, for most folks living in the northern regions of the Northern Hemisphere, it's almost definitely still winter when the Anthesteria rolls around.

Sources:

Lenaia:

Wikipedia - Lenaia

Sarah Pierce - Visual Language and Concepts of Cults on the "Lenaia Vases"

Anthesteria:

Britannica - Anthesteria

Noel Robertson - Athens' Festival of the New Wine

William Nickerson Bates - The Lenaea, The Anthesteria, and the Temple [Limnais]

B. C. Dietrich - A Rite of Swinging During the Anthesteria

City/Greater Dionysia:

Britannica - Great Dionysia

Kybernesia:

Valerij Goušchin - Athenian Synoikism of the Fifth Century B.C., or Two Stories of Theseus

Stephen D. Lambert - Parerga III: The Genesia, Basile and Epops Again (just a note: if you read through these resources, the information on Kybernesia is hidden in the footnotes or only mentioned once in the text.)

Rural Dionysia:

Leonhard Shmitz - Dionysia

Credits:

Thanks to @just-another-dionysus-devotee for suggesting this as a topic! It was really fun to research this topic!

And the divider design in this post is from @cafekitsune

[ray-does-witchcraft]

2024 Attic Calendar - January

Currently working on my own version of the adapted Attic calendar! So far I only have January, but February is almost done as well. Fair warning, this goes in depth about what the festivals/celebrations are and how to commemorate, so this post is gigantic. Attention: This is for the SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE!

⛧ [10/01/24] [Hekatombion 40th] - Hekate Deipnon

WHAT IS IT & WAYS TO CELEBRATE: It takes place at the end of the Lunar month. Hekate means "bringer of light", so at the darkest part of the month, we prepare our homes for the transition to a new month and offer her a meal. Think of it as a mini new year; clean/cleanse your house (especially altars), get rid of things you don't want to bring into next month (physical, spiritual, etc), and leave Hekate an offering at sundown (preferably a meal, but if you can't afford to waste food, just give her something else. Maybe bury or burn it if you can). Here's a list of good offerings (best left outside or at her altar, if you have one for her):

Bread

Cake (especially lit with candles)

Pomegranate

Wine

Honey

Cinnamon

Milk

Chocolate

Roses

Lavender

Poppy seeds

Dandelions

Incense (Frankincense, Lavender, Jasmine, Citrus, Dragons blood, Rosemary, or anything you have at hand)

Keys

Candles

Tea lights

Bones

Fire/Bonfire

Oil lamps

Crow/Raven/Own feathers

Poetry, Literature, Music, Hymns, etc

⛧ [11/01/24] [Metageitnion 1st] - Noumenia

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: The Noumenia is the first day of the visible New Moon and is held in honor of the household Gods. The Noumenia is a celebration of the start of a new Hellenic month and seeks blessings for the household. Honestly? You can just kick back and relax if you want or can, to invite calm energies into the upcoming month. But, if you (like me) want to be a little extra, here's some ways to celebrate:

Start a new personal project or hobby, or just pick back on things you've been putting off.

Set intentions for the coming month, and make plans for any of the month’s upcoming festivals, or for any of your personal upcoming plans.

Leave offerings for your deities.

Moon/stargaze, maybe meditate under the Moon.

Do a reading with your preferred divination method with the Theoi, asking what you should focus on in the coming month.

⛧ [12/01/24] [Metageitnion 2nd] - Agathos Daimon

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: One of my favorites! Daimons are household spirits that look after you and your family, so this is a day to honor Him! Pour a libation (especially wine, but mine likes milk better to be honest), make an offering, light a candle, maybe even make Him a lil altar! He's heavily associated with snakes, but aside from that you can offer (or put in His altar) anything you correlate with abundance, good luck, protection, etc. These guys are so overlooked and I love them. Here's a more in-depth post about Him and the holiday.

⛧ [13, 14, 16, 17, 18/01/24] [Metageitnion 3th, 4th, 6th, 7th & 8th] - Athena, Aphrodite/Hermes/Eros, Artemis, Apollo, Poseidon

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: Not exactly festivals, that's why I compiled them into one section, but these Lunar days are sacred to these deities in that order. Maybe leave them an offering or light them a candle, maybe even just devotional acts! Here's a good list of offerings for each:

ATHENA

Owl feathers/imagery

Pottery

Books

Toy weapons, athames, etc

Roses

Bread

Olive

Honey

Milk

Olive oil

Olive tree branches/leaves (real or not)

Clear crystals

Silver jewelry

Incense (Frankincense, Dragon's Blood, Cedarwood)

APHRODITE

Apples

Chocolate

Honey

Milk

Olive oil

Baked goods

Anything vanilla scented/flavored

Golden jewelry

Flowers (especially roses and anemones)

Sea stuff (sand, seashells, water, etc)

Perfume

Self care products

Rose quartz

Incense (Frankincense, Rose, Myrrh, Jasmine, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Cypress)

HERMES

Currency (real or not) (especially foreign)

Strawberries

Lemons

Dice

Playing cards

Travel tickets

Honey

Milk

Olive oil

Clovers

Cool rocks

Hematite

Incense (Frankincense, Myrrh, Safron, Dragon's Blood)

EROS

Honey cake

Chocolate

Fruit

Sweets (he likes candy a lot)

Milk

Honey

Olive oil

Rose quartz

Feathers

Flowers (real or not)

Heart-shaped objects

Arrows

Jewelry

Incense (Frankincense, Myrrh, Rose)

ARTEMIS

Animal related stuff (Imagery, bones, teeth, etc)

Moon related stuff

Moonstone

Clear quartz

Amethyst

Bows & Arrows

Leaves

Wild flowers

Acorns

Pine cones

Milk

Honey

Olive oil

Water

Silver jewelry

Incense (Frankincense, Cypress, anything woodsy)

APOLLO

Sun related stuff

Arts and crafts

Clear quartz

Citrine

Sunstone

Bows & arrows

Dandelions

Sunflowers

Poetry

Music

Honey

Milk

Olive oil

Water

Honeyed chamomile tea (he loves it)

Golden objects/jewelry

Divination items

Incense (Frankincense, Myrrh, Cypress, Clove, Cinnamon, Bay)

POSEIDON

Saltwater/Seawater

Seashells

Fish

Sand

Toy horses/horse imagery

Photos of the sea

Olive oil

Milk

Honey

Salt

Aquamarine

Sapphire

Incense (Frankincence, Myrrh, Pine)

⛧ [25-27/01/24] [Metageitnion 15-17th] - Eleusinia

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: The Eleusinia was a thanksgiving festival held to honor Demeter for the gift of grain. A modern way to celebrate is to have a big dinner (maybe include some breads and baking) and give thanks to Lady Demeter through it! Thank her for grain and the agricultural processes that we benefit from!

⛧ [28/01/24 ?] [Metageitnion 18th ?] - Adonia

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: A festival mourning the death of Adonis, one of Aphrodite's human lovers. Traditionally, it was celebrated only by women (as a trans guy, I personally don't give a fuck and celebrate it anyway). Also, there's no source for an exact date, so this is an educated guess at best (most sources just refers to it as taking place "midsummer"). For a way to celebrate, I found this amazing hymn/poem. Remember to honor Aphrodite on this day as well.

⛧ [30/01/24] [Metageitnion 20th] - Hera Telkhinia

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: A minor sacrifice for Hera, taking place in the suburbs of Athens. Again, not a lot of info, but if you worship or have a connection to her, maybe read her a hymn, pour a libation honor her on this day! Here's a Orphic hymn to her:

Hera, incense aromatic herbs and spices. You are seated in a cerulean cavern, having the form of air,    Íra queen of all, happy one who shares the bed of Zefs, You provide gentle breezes which sustain the soul. Mother indeed of storms, attendant of the winds, all-begetting. Apart from you life and generation cannot be found;    Mingled with the majestic air you partake of everything. You alone hold sovereignty, ruling over all. You are the stream which flutters down through the rushing winds. And now you, happy Goddess, many named, queen of all, Come with a countenance of kindness and joy. 

[hestiashearthfire]

Tips for nervous worshippers?

Hi there, Anon! As a former “nervous worshipper,” I totally get where you’re coming from. Here are three tips for calming those nerves and hopefully getting you started on the path to worship.

First, look for examples! When I first started praying to the gods, it felt so overwhelming and I wasn’t sure where to begin. Seeing other people actively worship helped me understand praxis better, and that’s so very important! Sure, the key is to get out there and do worship, but if you don’t know what you’re doing or have no idea where to start, it can be scary. YouTubers like Pic the Pagan, Chris Aldridge, and Elaini Temperance all have videos showing simple offerings and prayers. My favorite beginner book, Labrys’ Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship, also has excellent example ritual scripts you can use, as well as information on setting up an altar. Even if you’ve already got going, seeing other examples of practice can help calm that anxiety we all have about doing something “right”; you’ll see how varied praxis can be.

Second, start small. If like me you’re looking to the Attic Calendar for inspiration, don’t feel obligated to celebrate every holiday or occasion. Don’t even feel obligated to worship every god. Start with who calls to you. For me, that was Hestia. Naturally, I began slowly incorporating other gods into my worship. However, it’s taken years to get to where I am and I’m still not consistent. Don’t beat yourself up; just do what you can. Keep things basic as you build confidence in your worship. Your kharis will grow, and things will become easier.

Third, remember the gods love you. They understand you’re nervous, and they won’t “get mad” or hate you for it. The gods, close as they are to the good, will appreciate your efforts. As my good friend Aria says, “The gods know you’re nervous. They understand why, and they are patient! They see how you’re conquering your anxiety and appreciate the nature of your struggle.” Don’t see the gods short. Remember, they are not humans, and though the poets may depict them with human traits, they are still gods. Trust in their guidance and care, and you’ll do fine.

[gardenworship]

Hellenic polytheists and Hellenic pagans!

Who all celebrated Hekate’s Deipnon and Noumenia and today’s Agathos Daimon? This is my second month celebrating and really my first month doing anything for it. (These were Oct 2nd, 3rd, and 4th)

For those who don’t know these are the celebrations surrounding the beginning of the Greek lunar month followed by the attic calendar or the Athenian calendar as all city states followed a slightly different calendar and the Athenian one is the best known. These holidays were celebrated as celebrations of the home, so gods and goddesses of the home are primarily honored. Hekate’s Deipnon is celebrated on the darkest moon or the new moon, where Hekate was worshiped as the goddess of the crossroads in front of the home and also along side the spirits of the dead on that day——now keep in mind I am not a scholar if you wish to know more more accurate information please use critical thinking skills and fact check me elsewhere—Hekate’s Deipnon from what I can tell is a bit of a reset day where you rid your space from things of last month and get ready to bring in things from the new month. I spent the whole day cleaning, doing laundry, and spending time outside with the spirits. At the end of the day I had to combine offerings which I didn’t want to do but I only have so much alter space so I offered to Hestia and Zeus with his epithet as protector of the boundaries of the home first(don’t let anyone shame you for using the English translation of the epithet, I have no clue how to spell that) and Hermes and Hekate second, and then I went ahead and poured a libation to another god for another reason to wrap up. It was a really good day

Yesterday, or Noumenia, the first day of the lunar new year didn’t go as planned but honestly I’m not sure I had much planned, the one thing I really wanted to do was make a honey cake of some kind with is hard with a low carb diet I’m on but that neither here nor there. Noumenia was a lot more low key than Hekate’s Deipnon, but I went out to eat with my family to a really nice restaurant, it wasn’t fancy but it had really good food. Ultimately throughout the day I kept remembering it was Noumenia and felt really connected to the gods, despite not doing much

I don’t have much planned for today for Agathos Daimon I’ll pour out a libation outside for it this morning and probably one at the alter this evening when I go about my normal rituals

I realize I started off by explaining each day and then I didn’t keep doing that, I’m not sure how reputable the site Hellenion is but it maps out each holiday day in great detail and you can decide what elements work best for you

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

Hekates Deipnon

Hekates Deipnon is the last day of the month in the Attic (Athenian) Calendar. At the darkest time of the month, when the moon is absent in glow, we invite 'Ekate phosphoros (Hekate bringer of light) into our homes. We prepare for the new month by cleansing and cleaning our homes, body and mind.

In ancient times the day was held to honor Hekate and placate vengeful spirits. She was said to lead up unavenged and wrongfully killed spirits from the underworld, accompanied by hounds. The household was purified and members who might have disrespected Hekate atoned, so that she might not withhold her favor from them.

Historically the day was celebrated with three rituals.

1. a meal set at a crossroads

2. expiation

3. purification

While we might not celebrate exactly as the Ancient Greeks, there are other ways modern practioners and devotees can include Hekate's Deipnon in their monthly calenders.

Traditional Offerings:

Leeks

Eggs

Garlic

Sweeping the home

Things you don't want to bring into next month

Traditional Acts:

Cooking a meal for the gods

Cleaning and Cleansing

Donate a meal/food

Tending the home

Purifying Altars

Paying debt

Set offerings at a crossroads, whether it be on your altar, at a intersection, or where roads meet.

Fulfill your to-do lists and plan for the month ahead. You might wish to dispose of your months Kathiskos. A hymn to Hekate can be found here.

CITATIONS

"Hekate Goddess Of." HECATE GODDESS OF - Greek

Mythology,

www.theoi.com/Khthonios/HekateGoddess.html#Hymn

s. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.

"Hekate's Deipnon." Hellenion,

www.hellenion.org/festivals/hekates-deipnon/.

Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.

"Deipnon." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Sept.

2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deipnon.

[ruthiesrambles2]

It didn't take long for the passage of time to change.

It has been 28 days since departure.

Seasons replicated artificially in the greenhouse cars, but otherwise hours rolled into hours, days into days. Every morning, a voice from above, from ahead: Wilford Industries wishes you good morning, and the sun creeping in if you were blessed with a window. Otherwise the long night: the belly of the train, the storage cars, sanitation. Every evening the same: Wilford Industries wishes you good night.

It has been 109 days since departure.

A calendar was hardly an essential item, nor a sentimental one.

And so, weeks, months, years ceased to exist.

It has been 431 days since departure.

And so it was, in third class, amongst the working folk. Dates were like a distant memory. Some family heirloom in the attic that you know you'll probably never touch or use or think of. But you hold onto it. For posterity.

It has been 796 days since departure.

The doctor knows her wedding anniversary is soon. But she's skipped a day, she thinks, somewhere in her calculations. She tries to work it out again, presses the heel of her hand into her eyes. She's tired. Everyone is tired.

It has been 1126 days since departure.

Ruth knows the days of the week by their menu. Coq au vin, she writes in neat script. Tuesday, she thinks. And she knows - or at least, she's read in the event planner - that it is Tuesday the 12th July. The birthday celebration has been planned for 60 days or more. A cake, abhorrent in its splendour, waits at the bakery (she'll collect it herself, and take some brakemen with her, she thinks).

It has been 1126 days since departure.

There's a part of her that hates this. The part that knows half the world starves so this 13 year old rich girl gets to eat cake with mummy and daddy. Ruth works hard to squash that part.

It has been 1126 days since departure.

The room is resplendent, cherry blossom branches adorn the tables and Ruth sighs as she smells them. Some childhood dream flits vaguely in and out of her conscious mind.

It has been 1126 days since departure.

The party goes off without a hitch. Wilford sends his regards by way of a note in Melanie's hand. The Folgers show their gratitude by barely complaining when the champagne limit is reached.

It has been 1126 days since departure.

Ruth slips off her heels as the office door closes behind her. She doesn't bother with a light; the full moon illuminates her footsteps through the wide window. Wilford would be proud, she thinks.

The reflection of the moonlight on a plate catches her eye. A slice of cake, left on her desk. And that squashed part threatens to become unsquashed - a single tear wiped swiftly away. A peak at an heirloom left in an attic.

It is 12th July.

Happy birthday Ruth, the note reads, and Ruth stares at it.

Behind her, on the panelled wall, the clock hand passes midnight.

It has been 1127 days since departure.

[brooklynislandgirl]

Advent Calendar || Day Three @ifyoucatchacriminal

Maybe there will come a day when Spencer regrets letting Beth have a spare key to his apartment. Maybe one day he will notice that her joking about being menahune will become funny to him. But as she puts the last touches together, she's already starting to second guess herself. She isn't even sure if Spencer has a particular observation or subscribes to any particular denomination of belief. He's never negatively questioned her about being able to hold onto different beliefs herself, as if one can go to mass several times a week and certainly celebrate Catholic holidays while still having faith in the gods of her mother's culture, blending them together into a kind of neo-paganism that is extremely personal. Given that she has a set amount of hours to work with, she waits in her car until he leaves for work. Barring a new case popping up, she has roughly ten hours or so to work her okole off and she does; the tree ~ a living one, because neither of them are fond of killing, and a potential engagement to replant it in the future ~is so very modest compared to the ones in her townhouse, the Admiral's, and her church's. But the decorations are all antique. Things from her attic boxes, new lights, bulbs curated over weeks from various thrift stores and estate sales. Some are hand made, like the stocking she places on one of the small outer branches. And so is the tree skirt upon which a modest collection of gifts rest. Not only for him but for Diana, the members of his team. Beth knows enough to understand family in all its various shapes. She's carefully anchored a shelf to act as a mantle that won't ruin his wallpaper. Boughs of cedar mixed with holly, dried orange wheels studded with cloves wrap green arms around a single candle ~white, beeswax, hand-dipped~ in a hurricane glass. She can't hang the mistletoe high enough to have it hang over his head. Mostly because she can't reach a good spot with his tray-ceilings. That will have to be a cautiously negotiated verbal contract with them. Dinner catered in because she doesn't want him to suffer food poisoning rests in the oven to keep arm, along with desserts and breakfast from Jay's shop sit temptingly on the counter. Wine chills in his fridge but she's got a pot of coffee brewing. A home filled with light, warmth, joy, comfort. Everything he deserves to come back to, or at least what she wants to give him. She's adjusting the star atop the tree when she hears his key in the lock and feels her belly tighten. There's no way he can't hear the soft, instrumental holiday music playing on his turn table. And just as he turns in, she turns around. Tender smile and gleaming eyes in contrast to the hip hugging dark skirt and matching cropped shirt. Bare feet with one set of toes atop the other, the faintest jingle of the belled anklet. Her voice is cinnamon-tinted apple cider warmed. "Some say, that ever 'gainst that season comes, Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated, This bird of dawning singeth all night long;

"And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad. The nights are wholesome, then No planets strike, no fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm, So hallow'd and so gracious is the time."

[afroditi-anadyomene]

The calendar I use (Hellenion attic calendar) says that the thargelia begins tomorrow on May 14th, however some other sources say it doesn’t occur until the end of the month? Just wondering when most Hellenists are celebrating?

[athenaion]

i spent last night with some muslim friends celebrating chaand raat (literally "moon night") and having henna done and my henna design is a little snake curled around a moon and given that the attic calendar celebrates 4/9-4/10 noumenia/agathos daimon, i am tickled pink by the timely little agathos daimon on my hand. little good spirit. tiny friend. khaire!

<3

[hyakinthou-naos]

Hekate’s Deipnon

February 2024

Khaire Temple Guests, thank you for visiting us today!

Tonight is Hekate's Deipnon, and in honor of this we wanted to share some information about this Holy Day. Additionally, a post explaining how to submit and leave digital and e-offerings can be found here.

What is Hekate's Deipnon?

"... at its most basic, [Hekate's Deipnon is] a religious offering meal given to the Titan Hekate and the restless dead once a lunar month. Ancient Athenians held that once a lunar month, Hekate led the spirits... from the underworld up from Hades. It is also the last day of the month according to the lunisolar based Attic calendar used in ancient Athens. Where the time of the dark moon was seen as the in-between liminal time between months." - Wikipedia

Hekate's Deipnon takes place the day before Noumenia, on the night of what is referred to modern astrology as the 'New Moon'.

This Holy Day is regarded as a time for purification and cleaning before the start of the new lunar month, as well as a time to honor the dead and the underworld. Purification of the self and the home, as well as settling personal affairs from the previous month are all traditional; and considered to be auspicious activities to partake in on this night.

Why Hekate?

"Hekate (Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy." - Theoi.com

Depending on your sources, Hekate's name may come from the Greek hekatos meaning "worker from afar" - or it may come from the Greek ekate phosphoros meaning "bringer/giver of light”. In either case, Hekate is closely aligned with the veil between the overworld and the underworld - and is an incredibly liminal goddess. Her domains include magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy (source: Theoi.com).

With all of this in mind, it becomes clear as to why Hekate would be associated with the night before Noumenia, when the veil is thin and darkness is abound.

How to Celebrate Hekate's Deipnon?

As mentioned before, Hekate's Deipnon is a time for purification, cleansing, and honoring in the dead. If you are physically able, Hekate's Deipnon is a great time to cleanse either your home - or your ritual spaces. This is also a great time to, if you are physically able, take care of your body (i.e., showering, having a wash day for your hair, trimming finger and toe nails, etc.).

Outside of cleansing, it is traditional to place an offering of food on your altar/shrine during the day. Then, at night, you should place this food outside at a three way crossroad. This could be a literal crossroad on a path or road, or a liminal crossroad where water, air, and earth meet. Two examples of the later are 1: A rock or raised earth in a river or stream or 2: A bridge that crosses over some kind of body of water.

Traditional food offerings include:

Eggs (Raw or Hard Boiled)

Leeks / Onions

Garlic (Whole, Cloves, or Powder)

Incense

(source: hellion.org)

Some practitioners will alternatively or additionally set aside a plate during their evening meal with a portion of the food served. These offerings should also be placed at a crossroads.

Lastly, it is important to make sure that any promises, promised offerings, or oaths that you have made during the prior month are fulfilled before dawn. This will allow you to enter Noumenia with a clean slate.

We hope you have found this post informative and helpful, please feel free to direct any questions or inquiries to our AskBox and we will endeavor to answer all queries in a timely manner.

Eirene, peace and farewell.

[haunted-rum2]

Festivals & Calendars

The equinox. The time when night and day are equal. It occurs only two times a year. Tomorrow, September 23, 2023, is when the Autumnal Equinox falls for those in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, is the Spring Equinox. For some people and cultures, this is a time of festivity.

When it comes to festivals in Hellenic Polytheism, it can be a bit overwhelming for worshipers to figure out. The Ancient Greeks had a lot of festivals throughout the years. Athens alone had about 120 days worth of festivals. Each city-state had their own festival calendars with some festivals being pan-Hellenic. That is, they were celebrated across all of Ancient Greece, such as the Olympia.

When starting to construct a festival calendar, many people will use the Attic calendar. Otherwise known as the Ancient Athenian calendar. The reason for that, is simply because that it is the calendar we happen to have the most information on. From the names of the months to information on the festivals, it is the calendar that is best if you are looking to simply translate the ancient calendar to your modern day calendar.

Modern day worshipers may find themselves stuck on what festivals they should celebrate and when. Some festivals we only have the names of, others we only know approximately when they were celebrated. Even though I have been a Hellenic Polytheist for about 8 years now, I still find myself struggling with figuring out the festival calendar. As a solitary worshiper, though not out of choice, it can be a bit difficult to celebrate certain festivals the same way the Ancient Greeks did and even a bit lonely at times. Between being solitary and also living in a different climate zone than the ancient and modern Greeks, I have to make a few adaptations to the festivals.

The few things that remain the same are the Deipnon (the last of the month) and the Noumenia (the first of the month). The second of the month is often dedicated to the Agathos Daimon (good spirit). Because the calendar is a lunisolar calendar, the first of the month falls on the new moon. For modern people, the new moon occurs when the moon is 100% dark, but for the ancients, the new moon occurs when the moon is just starting to be seen again after going dark. When I was constructing my calendar, I chose to place the Noumenia the day after the modern new moon (when it was 100% dark) which places the Deipnon on the day of the modern new moon.

However, because 12 lunar months are about 11 days shorter than a solar year, the months can start to slide back and become misaligned with the seasons. To fix this, the Ancient Athenians added in an extra month every three years. I tend to just add in an extra month after Poseideon in December. It's just called Poseideon II.

Having that beginning and end set in the calendar makes it much easier to decide when to place the festivals. At least, those we know the dates of. For example, we know that Thargelia was celebrated on the 6th and 7th of Thargelion, and we know that Thargelion occurs in May/June.

For the Ancient Athenians, the year began with the first new moon after the summer solstice. The first month of the year is called Hekatambaion. The months after that are as follows:

Metageitnion

Boedromion

Pyanepsion

Maimakterion

Poseideon

Gamelion

Anthesterion

Elaphebolion

Mounichion

Thargelion

Skirophorion

And of course, every three years there will be an extra month. Each month is about 29 or 30 days long as the moon's orbit around the Earth is 29.5 days long.

When it comes to setting up the calendar, I found this site (epistemeacademy.org) to be very helpful. I made very few, if any, tweaks to the festival dates.

In regards to the festivals, I usually place them on the same days the Ancients did with the exception of some agricultural festivals. Since I live in a different climate zone, my local harvests start just a little later in the year, though not by much. I also don't celebrate every single festival that the ancients did. That's a lot of festivals to celebrate. I generally just stick to one or two festivals a month depending on the length of the festival. Additionally, some festivals will be celebrated for the full original time frame, and others will be shortened to accommodate my own (and society's) needs. Unfortunately, I can't always celebrate for seven days straight.

Some of the festivals I personally celebrate are the Dionysia (both parts), Kronia, Thargelia, Panathenaia, and more. I'll talk more in depth about the specific festivals I celebrate as they come up as this post has already really long.

I am by no means an expert. All of this is simply based on my own experience and the research I’ve done intermittently over the course of 8 years. Please be sure to do your own research as well. The site that I linked above (epistemeacademy.org) links information about the festivals that are listed in the calendar. You can also find books and articles using Google Scholar (would highly recommend). If you believe that I may have gotten something wrong or if there is something I missed, please let me know. Definitely provide links if you have them.

[piristephes]

Is it ok if I ask how you found your in-person group of worshippers? I'd like to find a similar group in my area but am struggling a lot.

It was a matter of divine chance, ngl.

I was part of a RPG party with a friend of mine, who knew I was getting into worshipping the Gods slowly. He was friends with someone around the city who had previously been part of a group of polytheists active in the capital of my state. Turns out this person was part of the same RPG group. We became friends and began reuniting the group with those who had previously been part of it.

Till this day, we celebrate monthly a festival or some other more modern celebration, inspired by both the attic calendar and local adaptations. I could help you find some other irl groups, but only in a Brazil-level I reckon.

Anyway, it has been lovely to share a community.