January 1st is the Feast of Agios Vassilis (the Santa Claus in Greece is Saint Basil), celebrated with church services. In many accounts, Christmas celebrations got their start as a substitute for the pagan festivals. If you’re planning to be part of some Greek festivals, here are some festival you wouldn’t want to miss: 1. The New Testament Church did faithfully teach and observe the Feast of Pentecost. (Greek, Roman, Slavic, Celtic, Anglo-Teutonic & Norse) * 12/25 to 1/5: Yule--Old Anglo-Teutonic festival honoring God Freyr, Goddess Freyja, and God Balder. The games entered into fetes, they related to religion , such were the Olympic games in Greece, as well as the Pythic, Isthmic, Nemean, and in Rome the Capitoline, Megalense, Apolinarius and many others all dedicated to some divinity; thus they were not games for pure amusement. Prayer can be as simple, direct and informal as talking to the gods, off the cuff, in a time of need or just because you feel like it. Imbolc: The Promise of Spring (Feb. 2) Imbolc translated literally means "in the belly" in Gaelic. Dionysia. The Romans celebrated their seven-day winter festival, Saturnalia, starting on December 17. Information on modern Hellenic and Roman religious organizations is provided here. Salem’s historical connection to witchcraft has made it the modern-day locus of covens, activism for Witches’ rights, and other Pagan groups. The word is inclusive of any kind of festivity, but we are using it in its religious sense. Easter is by far the biggest event of the year, celebrated everywhere with candlelit … The Pagan Calendar names I use are in modern Irish, and the associated Gaeilge video is also my schoolgirl modern Irish pronunciation, to be clear. In The Pagan Book of Days the author provides details on auspicious and inauspicious days, holy days of ancient gods and goddesses, and the eight stations of the year (the solstices, equinoxes, and cross-quarter days). Pagan festivals permits exactly such an understanding, and integration, as Jacobs and Bronner recommended. Hellenic Festival Year. Cities such as New Orleans, Edinburgh, and Drogheda, Ireland, have commercialized their pagan festivals, but there are still places where one can find ancient celebrations held outside of modernity; where traditions have remained locally-kept secrets passed down for generations. The 23rd of August marks the Ancient Greek holiday of Nemesia, – the festival of the Goddess Nemesis – the Goddess of Fate, Revenge, and Divine Retribution. Discover (and save!) Conceptivae were annual holidays that were moveable feasts (like Easter on the Christian calendar, or Thanksgiving in North America); the date was announced by the magistrates or priests who were responsible for them. Daniel Ogden, p. 402) In ancient Athens, about half of the days in the calendar were devoted to religious festivals and each god or goddess often had more than one festival. Image Source. These seasonal festivals can be large public events with hundreds of adults and children gathering at sacred sites, such as Stonehenge, Avebury, or Glastonbury in England, or at the other extreme, they can be very private events celebrated by a single Druid in their garden or living room, or by a small group of Druids and friends who have gathered together in a park or garden. 2.1 January: New Year’s Day. Throughout this document, the names of the months are used as used by the ancient Hellens. The pagan festival honouring Ishtar was held at the vernal (Spring) equinox, when the sun crossed the equator towards the north, offering new life. Winter began at the festival of Winternights, which is close to the Autumn Equinox. The Great Dionysia was a dramatic festival that centered around the theater. Festivals: A List of Greek Pagan Festivals and Holy Days Holy Days and Festivals. Your festival event guide for the greater Dayton Area, including all of Montgomery County.. With a history of 6,500 years of making traditional Greek wine, Greece is fairly considered one of the oldest wine producing regions in the world with ample time to refine and transform this ancient ‘elixir’ into a growing favorite of sommeliers, wine connoisseurs and ordinary wine lovers worldwide. That day, all Greek families cut the vasilopita, sweet bread with a coin inside which brings good luck for the year to come to its finder. Embracing a sensitivity we have lost, the Pagan traditions emphasize mystical spirituality, reverence for the feminine principle, and the links between people and the earth. The Christian festival of Easter (named some variant on Pascha everywhere else in Europe) is the first Sunday after the first full moon after Spring Equinox. Paganism: Pagan gods and festivals: Private letter in Greek (P.Duk.inv. 2020 Neo-Pagan Holidays. From the smaller arts and crafts festivals to the larger Celtic Music and Heritage Festival, these outdoor parties are fun for the whole family! $22.50. Many other festivals were celebrated locally, and in the case of mystery cults, such as the one at Eleusis near Athens, only initiates could participate. Summer began at the festival of Ostara (also know as Eostre), which is close to the Spring Equinox. Michigan's best festival guide with over 1,150 festival events in such cities as Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Traverse City, Bessemer, ... Ya’ssoo Greek Festival – Ann Arbor 6/10-6/12* – Art on the River – Port Huron ... Michigan Pagan Festival – Belleville 6/16-6/18* – Three Rivers Water Festival – … Orthodox Easter. The ancient Anglo-Saxon Pagan festival of Eostur was the fourth full moon of the year, and did not always fall near Easter. See more ideas about pagan festivals, pagan, festival. Paganism is experiencing a global revival as more people are reconnecting with nature. Hellenic (Greek) Reconstructionism is a modern Pagan religious movement that bases its worship and cultic practices on the traditional, polytheistic religion of Ancient Greece. The most famous religious festival was the festival devoted to Zeus, held every four years at the sanctuary of Olympia. or even before. There does not appear to have been any attempt to connect Contemporary Celtic Paganism to a political agenda or nationalist movement unlike the other forms of Contemporary Paganism. Download this stock image: Greek Man With A Black Face At The Carnival of The Skyrian Goat Festival Skyros Greek Islands Greece Hellas - A6PGWK from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. Roman Festivals in the Greek East From the Early Empire to the Middle Byzantine Era List of major cultural festivals Athens Epidaurus Festival. The Greek Orthodox church has repeatedly tried to ban the festival due to its pagan roots. (1,043) 1,043 reviews. January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, and November, Some Hellenes also follow a ritual de… This entry was posted on December 16, 2015, in Festivals, Poseidea, Poseidon, Rituals and tagged festivals, greek pagan rituals, poseidea, Poseidon, rituals. The ancient winter rituals of sun worship found their way into Christianity. Modern Pagan Festivals: A Study in the Nature of Tradition Ronald Hutton Abstract The cluster of recently appeared religions known as Paganism have developed, over the past sixty years, a distinctive cycle of annual festivals, most of which draw on long historic roots but that are grouped together in a modern framework. Modern Hellenic (Greek) & Roman Religions. Festival Republic Possibly the biggest festival organiser in the UK, Festival Republic was previously known as Mean Fiddler Group. Of course, it was absorbed into the Christian liturgical calendar and many Greek Pagan Gods and Goddesses are still worshiped as Christian saints on their traditional festivals/feast days (see also Pagan Saints). It is a Greek Orthodox festival with strong pagan roots focusing primarily on water. Find the perfect pagan pride festival stock photo. There are two things that tend to bring humans together: crises and holidays. The Easter Bunny and Easter eggs are pagan traditions as symbols of fertility (new life/Spring). Adonia. May poles are also associated with the Heathen midsummer festival. It has its origin in … Heartland Pagan Festival, ongoing since 1986; Hekate's Sickle Festival, ongoing since 1989; Horn and Honey — official site; Kaleidoscope Gathering, ongoing since 1989 — official site; Mėnuo Juodaragis, ongoing since 1995; PaganiCon — official site; Pagan Pride Day, held annually at many locations; Pagan Spirit Gathering, ongoing since 1980 When it comes to prayer, there aren’t a lot of rules. But some argue that Easter is actually a pagan holiday and owes its name to the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre. It features performances that are led by international and local Greek musicians. The most remarkable event in this festival is the jazz event at the Palamidi Castle. During the course of a year, celebrations are held to honor most of the ​Olympic gods. Celtic festivals often tied in with the needs of the community. Naflio in Peloponnese is the region with the oldest classical festival of music in Greece. * 1/1: World Peace Day--Day to meditate for peace throughout the world. Greek Festivals 2019. Opa! Greek Festivals (skip to festival listings) and Hellenic Glendis in the USA are held January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, and November, except during Orthodox lent. Summertime is the most popular time for Greek festivals. It falls on the 14th day of Skirophorion, roughly the middle of July. This is a good time to give thanks for the abundance we have in our lives, and to be grateful for the food on our tables. Dionysia - Dramatic festival of Dionysus. 588 (b)) ; Magical handbook in Greek … In Hellenismos, Tony Mierzwicki shows how to bring it back in all of its primal glory. 2.7 August:The Ascension of the Virgin Mary. These festivals include the well-known festivals of Samhain and Imbolc. Feriae publicae were of three kinds: Stativae were annual holidays that held a fixed or stable date on the calendar. Essentially an agricultural festival, the Thargelia included a purifying and expiatory ceremony. Seasonal changes were very important to ancient peoples, who depended on the seasonal markers to dictate when to plow, sow, harvest, and rest. Once area festivals are confirmed on the main Ohio Festival Schedule, they are copied over to this page to make it easier to plan your weekend festival adventures. Welcome to a comprehensive festival listing page and guide for Dayton, Ohio and the greater area. It … By celebrating Lammas as a harvest holiday, we honor our ancestors and the hard work they must have had to do in order to survive. Carnival. Purification The idea of pollution or miasma was significant in ancient Greece, and a number of rituals included ways of addressing this. What is today thought to be a celebration of the birth of Christ began as the pagan midwinter festival. Thargelia (Greek Θαργήλια) was one of the chief Athenian festivals in honour of the Delian Apollo and Artemis, held on their birthdays, the 6th and 7th of the month Thargelion (about May 24 and May 25). Blood sacrifices were traditional on this day. 177 R) ; Comedy in Greek (P.Duk.inv. We’ve heard it so many times that it’s practically part of the Christmas story itself. 1 An Overview of Festivals in Greece by Month. Such festivals with music concerts, theatre performances, lectures, and custom revivals take place in all Greek islands and towns, usually in summer, presenting the local culture and occasionally hosting international participation. Traditions are habits we teach to our children. Norse Holidays and Festivals. Pagan rites and festivals are at the root of many traditional holidays in the Western world. Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, many of Milwaukee's summer events and festivals have been canceled or postponed this year. Pagan Traditions. It did not involve whether or not to keep pagan holidays or God’s Holy Days. Particularly famous is the Athens Epidaurus Greek Festival, with events in the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, the Herodeion Theatre in Athens and other venues. Carnival is one of the most widespread festivities in Western culture. Paganism—a term that encompasses a wide variety of Earth-based religions—has a distinct community in Greater Boston. 2.5 May Day/Labor Day. In Early August in Zante they hold the International Meeting of Medieval and Popular Theatre. One of the oldest and largest of the Pagan festivals, held annually since 1981, is a special week long festival that celebrates the Summer Solstice, Pagan culture, and the spiritual dimensions of Nature. 5 talking about this. Source: CC BY NC-SA 2.0 . All of us celebrate at least some pagan traditions whether we know it or not. 11 The penis-shaped bread is used to soak up the soup Credit: Athena Picture Agency Although Hellenic Reconstructionism accepts personal gnosis as a part of its spirituality, the predominant source of information comes from the works of Homer, Hesiod and other ancient writers. (Greek Religion, ed. Beltane Fire Festival Celebrations. The most famous religious festival was the festival devoted to Zeus, held every four years at the sanctuary of Olympia. Many Pagans and Wiccans celebrate the “Wheel of the Year”, or the cyclical change of the seasons. It was a thoroughly pagan affair full of debauchery and the worship of the god Saturn. Lammas is … Citation. See a recent post on Tumblr from @hearthfirehandworks about greek-pagan-festivals. As such, Hellenic Pagans today often celebrate a wide variety of major festivals. During the course of a year, celebrations are held to honor most of the ​ Olympic gods. There are also agricultural holidays based upon harvest and planting cycles. 2.6 June – August: The Epidaurus Festival. The ancient Norse year was divided into two seasons: Summer and Winter. Thus the “pagan origins of Christmas” is a myth without historical substance. Festivals The City of Festivals. Yes, Easter is also based on an ancient pagan festival celebrating the Spring Equinox. Virtual Festivals need Virtual Tools. In addition to public holidays, local groups often held celebrations, and it wasn't uncommon for families to make offerings to household deities. We will miss the opportunity to celebrate with everyone, but are looking forward to safer celebrations in 2021. Epiphany or the Three Kings Day. The Cross Quarters – with Community elements, but a focus on the Land & Sovereignty, and this World. In the western Ukrainian Lemko region and Prešov region it was called Sobitka. Greek festivals are a celebration of Greek culture set up with Greek dance, music, food, and cultural display. Many people believe that the spring timing of Easter is a sure indicator of pagan origins. 2 Comments Boreaia Rite. Lammas - 1st August Included are the observances of the ancient Greek, Roman, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse traditions, as well as Wiccan traditions and the worship of the Goddess. Maia Greek goddess of May and 1st May (Mayday) celebrations. More info on this story can be found in the Cyprus Mail. The Cyprus public holiday for Kataklysmos 2012 is on Monday 4th June. These seasonal festivals have been adopted by modern Pagans and interpreted in a variety of… Hemingway, Colette, and Seán Hemingway. The largest pagan religious cult which fostered sun worship in the Greek and … Mar 17, 2018 - This Pin was discovered by Mildred Cady. An acquisition in 2005 made the company focus much more on festival planning than on promotion, hence the name was changed. There is another word which also means festival, which is iæreia (iereia, ἱερεία ), which can also mean an animal sacrifice , as was performed in antiquity, but is inappropriate in modern times. The Past Meets the Future 2.3 March/April:Greek Orthodox Easter. The Fire Festivals – with Community elements, but a focus on Hearth & Home, and the Otherworld. To break with them causes family drama. Discover more posts about greek-pagan-festivals. Some modern Christian festivals, like Christmas and Easter, took on elements of earlier pagan religions, but they are not essentially Roman, pagan holidays. your own Pins on Pinterest Prose and Art Festival in Lefkas. January 1st is also the day when Christmas gifts are given to the children. Anthaia. One unbiblical tradition of this holiday is the use of greenery. Litha is a fire festival honouring the heathen goddess of the sun Sol and the god of the day Dagr. 2.2 February:Apokries/Greek Carnival. Greek Pagan Basics: How to Write a Prayer. Note: According to some sources the Nemesia fell on August 21. Apaturia - Festival of the phratry brotherhood. The ancient Greeks celebrated all kinds of festivals and holidays in the different city-states. Review common questions in connecting with Microsoft Teams and this festival. Mother's Day - The Truth. Take time to read Acts 20:16. St. Augustine festivals celebrate the unique combination of food, history, art, and music that can all be found in the oldest city. These Panhellenic festivals were attended by people from all over the Greek-speaking world. In Rethymnon, Crete the Sultana Raisin Festival is held. & Holidays of theOld Religions of Europe. Pyanepsia - A bean feast. 5 out of 5 stars. In classical Greek times there were several important festivals that nominally occur at the end of October and beginning of November. As such, Hellenic Pagans today often celebrate a wide variety of major festivals. Says Hislop: "There can be no doubt, then, that the Pagan festival at the winter solstice -- in other words, Christmas -- was held in honor of the birth of the Babylonian Messiah" (p. 102). Only 3 available and it's in 2 people's carts. In spring time, at the beginning of the farming calendar, everybody would be hoping for a fruitful year for their families and fields. The Olympus Festival in the village of Litohoro in Katerini includes various artistic events held in the old castle. Today’s Pagans worship different pantheons and cultures. In Athens and other parts of ancient Greece, there is a month that roughly corresponds with December/January that is … Select an item to see images of the papyrus as well as the catalogue record describing the item. The word festival in ancient Greek is æortí (eortê, ἑορτή; plural is ἑορταί). Our traditions are all the reign of Babel, and connected with familial bonds. Light and Darkness became one.. melodies found Mother Earth.. and Infinity was created.. The Council of Nicaea set the festival’s timing in 325AD when it ruled that the resurrection should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox. Daniel Ogden, p. 402) In ancient Athens, about half of the days in the calendar were devoted to religious festivals and each god or goddess often had more than one festival. Two of these, which occur on the same day (7 Puanepsion), are especially interesting; they are followed on the next day by the Theseia (for Theseus), which is intimately connected with the first two. The Pagan seasonal cycle is often called the Wheel of the Year. Marble sculpture of ancient Greek wrestlers, ca 510 BC, courtesy National Archaeological Museum, Athens. Whether you're a local, new in town, or just passing through, you'll be sure to find something on Eventbrite that piques your interest. There are also agricultural holidays based upon harvest and planting cycles. 313 R (b)) ; Painting with the sons of Horus (P.Duk.inv. Learn how to forge personal relationships with the ancient Greek deities. Hence, the result is that Roman festivals were more sage than Greek festivals. The Athens Epidaurus Greek Festival takes place every summer (from June to August) and includes various performances, like modern theatre, ancient drama, ballet, opera, jazz, and classical music concerts and art exhibitions. 2 Festivals in Greece. Anthesteria, held on February 11th, celebrates the maturing of the wine and the beginning of spring. It’s an Athenian festival in honor of Dionysus, god of the grape harvest, winemaking, and wine. The celebration lasted for three days in the month of Anthesterion (from the Hellenic calendar in ancient Attica). 2.4 March:Greek Independence Day. Church leaders say the two organisations were "airbrushing faith" out of the festival. Favorite. Eleusinia - Festival of games held at Eleusis. Looking for festivals events in Dapto? Greek calendars varied from polis to polis, but in some Greek calendars, a month around the time of the winter solstice is named for Poseidon. If you attended Spring Mysteries Festival this year, you know what to expect. Nowhere in this passage is there any reference to “Sabbaths,” “Holy Days” or “Feasts”! Nafplion Festival. It also has implications for a broader appreciation of the nature of modernity, and its relationship with older ideas and customs, and of the changing place of religion in … Is Christmas a Pagan Rip-off? Cities such as New Orleans, Edinburgh, and Drogheda, Ireland, have commercialized their pagan festivals, but there are still places where one can find ancient celebrations held outside of modernity; where traditions have remained locally-kept secrets passed down for generations. Heed the Call of the Greek Gods and Goddesses The religion of the ancient Greeks has lain dormant for too long. It is also known as the feast of the Pentecost or Whitsun, marked 50 days after Greek Orthodox Easter. For a thousand years from 776 BC, every four years, people from all over the Greek-speaking world traveled to the site of Olympia to celebrate the ancient Olympic Games. No need to register, buy now! Decorating with green plants in late December through the beginning of January was one of the ways Druids "honored and encouraged" the sun god at the time of the winter solstice. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. Ancient Greece Festivals. Easter is one of the significant and scared festivals among the Greek festivals. There are a lot of different festivals like.... Anthesteria - Festival of Dionysus and the new wine. Here we have tried to list the most common Pagan traditions and practices but we’d like your help in making this more relevant to modern Pagans in Scotland. "So in Greek the feast is called Pascha, in Italian Pasqua, in Danish it … The term Easter was the name of a Spring Germanic goddess – Eostre. St. John’s Eve Early Christians loved to nick pagan gods and turn them into saints and lift pre-Christian festivals and graft saints onto them. The ceremony will often take place around a bonfire and Heathens will jump over the flames for luck. Dec5. HecatesBoutique. Easter. From shop HecatesBoutique. Hekate's Sickle Festival Online. The Adonia was a women’s festival held in late summer in honor of Adonis, a consort of Aphrodite who died... Amarysia. Home to Celtic, Wiccan, Greek Reconstructionist, eclectic, and other pagan groups, Boston has a longstanding Pagan history. The largest pagan religious cult which fostered sun worship in the Greek and … Halloween Celtic festival is also known as Samhain to the Scotii-Gael. Rather, the pagan festival of the “Birth of the Unconquered Son” instituted by the Roman Emperor Aurelian on 25 December 274, was almost certainly an attempt to create a pagan alternative to a date that was already of some significance to Roman Christians. Eventbrite, and certain approved third parties, use functional, analytical and tracking cookies (or similar technologies) to understand your event preferences and provide you with a customised experience. This pagan ritual involved the worship of Tammuz and the sun, and took place at sunrise on Easter morning. Ancient Greek Olympics: 27 Historical Facts On The Festival And Its Games. Persephone Charm Bracelet - Underworld Version, Greek Mythology Jewelry, Greek Goddess, Queen of the Underworld, Pagan, Wicca, Hellenic. Kupalo was believed to be the god of love and of the harvest and the personification of the earth’s fertility. We are presenting HSF online this year as we give time and space for all to obain access to COVID-19 vaccines safely. Jan 31, 2020 - Explore Rickey Russell's board "Pagan Festivals", followed by 347 people on Pinterest. The Gods of the Greek and Romans, so engaging for many of us in school, are now being worshiped again. Honoring: Boreas, god of the north wind, and his daughter Chione, goddess of snow Panathenaea. It is described as an abomination in Ezekiel 8.15,16. Kupala Night is a Slavic celebration of ancient pagan origin marking the end of the summer solstice and the beginning of the harvest (midsummer). The Thargelia. Jesus himself is often described as “light” in various forms. Read more “Festivals: A List of Greek Pagan Festivals and Holy Days” December 19, 2015 August 13, 2017 by greekpagan Festivals: Boreaia (An Exercise in Modern Festival-building) Mother's Day - Is It Pagan? Lupercalia may have started at the time of the founding of Rome (traditionally 753 B.C.) On this page, Baring the Aegis presents an overview of the sacred month, as well as a list of the festivals of ancient Hellas, arranged in sequence to the year. The Lupercalia may be the longest-lasting of the Roman pagan festivals. In most countries in Europe, the name for Easter is derived from the Jewish festival of Passover. Greek religion - Greek religion - The Archaic period: The name Dionysus occurs in the Linear B tablets, so it seems very likely that his worship was a part of Mycenaean religion. Knowing what each Pagan tradition, path, faith or practice is can be overwhelming. It is believed … (Greek Religion, ed. Says Hislop: "There can be no doubt, then, that the Pagan festival at the winter solstice -- in other words, Christmas -- was held in honor of the birth of the Babylonian Messiah" (p. 102). The traditions are the cult (culture), but to stop doing them and explaining why draws comments such as "you're in a cult!" In Naousa in Paros the Pirate Raid Pagentry is held. Festivals of Herakles were often held in the gymnasium and featured athletic competitions; festivals of Asklepios, unsurprisingly, were all about health and healing.