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Roman Festivals
Romans had many events to celebrate almost every month. It was as though their whole lives were made up of festivals. Most of them were dedicated to show gratitude the gods and goddesses for the girfts they received and the events that they experienced. It is a joke that many of the gods are long forgotten and just worshipped for the sake of it. Visitors wouldn't miss those festivals and some would even come to Rome especially for them.

Roman homes have a calendar beside the door, which were used to plan for special occasions and events. The black and white markings on the calendar indicated the lucky and unlucky days in the owner's personal horoscope. Days were marked with F (//fastus//) and C (comitialis) to indicate working days and days were public assemblies were arranged. Basically, they are weekdays. N (nefatus) was marked when a certain public business will not be carried out. EN is a half day public business that is only conducted in the afternoon. NP signals a complete shutdown for the whole day and usually is a major public holiday.

On the calendar, apart from the usual weekdays (often marked from A - H) and market days, are the three main divisions of a month. The start (the Kalens, dedicated to Juno), the Nones (Around the 7th) and on the 13th or 15th the Ides (sacred to Jupiter).

January
Strange enough, January the 1st was a normal working day. The year used to begin in March and the Romans didn't bother to change things the way they are. However on this very day, new consuls parade with their retinues up the Via Sacra to the Capitol and sacrifice white bulls to Jupiter (Zeus) for the safety of Rome. Later, they get seated on ivory chairs as they are being presented to the people of Rome.

Early in the month, a three day festival by the name of Compitalia will be held. Its purpose was to pacify restless spirits. Dancing, plays and sports were present too. It was a time off for slaves, leaving their masters to fend for themselves. Agonalia is held on the 9th of January. It is meant to honor Janus, god of the beginning and the end. Janus is portrayed to have two faces, one at the front and another at the back.

On the 11th of January, Juturnalia is held. This day is honored by men working in wells or aqueducts as Juturna is the ancient Roman goddess of water. In exchange for her virginity, Jupiter granted her immortality. It was said that she turned into a fountain near the Numicus. The citizens use water from her fountain for sacrifices, especially those for Vesta. She was also a protector against fire (Vulcan) for she is water.

February
February is also known as the month of purification. During the week of Parentalia, deceased parents are remembered. Temples were shut down to avoid praise and worship and marriages weren't allowed to take place. Little groups of family members go to the cemeteries and share jugs of wine and milk, as well as meals with the dead. The festival ends with families coming together for a huge reunion dinner. Coinciding with Parentalia was the Lupercalia, a rite so old that nobody understands the point of it. Two teams of aristocratic young men sacrifice two goats and a dog in a small cave on Palatine. Then they run down the hill to the Forum, whipping anyone in their way with small strips of goatskin. The whipping was supposed to guarantee fertility to the young women in their path.

Fornacalia is held around February 17. Offerings of cake were made using Italian wheat flour that were roasted in the oven and then crushed in the mill. It was also known as the feast of ovens. Quirinalia is on February 17. It is named after Quirinus, and held on the day Romlus was believed to be betrayed. It was also held to commemorate the time soldiers were brought back into action after a peaceful winter.

March
March was considered to be the first month of the year. Rituals in this month celebrate Mars, God of War, after whom the month is named. Matronalia was held in the honour of Mars. Only married women were allowed into the temples of Juno to make offerings of flowers. Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March.

The festival of Anna Parenna happens on March 15. Legends has it that once, the plebeians (commoners) left the patricians (aristocrats). It was in that time that the partricians were in dire need of them for military purposes. They sought refuge on the Mons Sacer, a mountain near the city of Rome. On the brink of dying and suffering from starvation, they met an old woman called Anna, who provided them with a daily basis of food. After the reestablishment of peace with the patricians, they returned and made Anna one of their deities, calling her Parenna, which means, "enduring" or "lasting throughout the year".

Hilaria honours Cybele, mother of gods on the 25th of March. Legend has it that goddess Cybele loves a mortal named Attis. Attis however, did not like Cybele. Enraged, Cybele made Attis insane. After his death, Attis's blood turned into flowers and his body, into a tree. 17th March, Liberalia was held to honor the god and goddess of fertility, Liber and Libera. On this day, Roman youths could wear their toga virilis for the first time. This festival was to promote growth of the seedlings.

April
A bunch of weirdly dressed young men called salii go about the city, carrying strange shields and singing foreign hymns. This rite is almost older than Rome itself. They are rewarded a huge and generous feast every night for their chanting, hence the phrase, "fit for salii". April is the month of blossoming (from Latin word aperio, 'opening').

Parilia is when Vestal Virgins prepare a special mixture to burn in small bonfires all over the city. Vinalia Priora (Vinalia) is held on the 23rd of April and on the 19th of August. It was first associated with Jupiter, then slowly people made the festival sacred to Venus, goddess of gardens and vineyards.

Robigus is the god responsible for the infections on crops. When Robigus gets furious, there is bound to be a bad harvest. So to prevent this from happening, farmers held celebrations for him, such as one called Robigalia. Prayers and offerings were made to him on the 25th of April.

Somewhere in April, an ancient Latin festival is held. It was first created by Latin tribe members who worshiped Jupiter on Alban Mount. They would sacrifice a young white cow and pour its milk and eat its meat. The ritual itself was werd. They made puppets or dolls called oscilla from tree branches. They were either meant as a good luck charm or a curse. Later in the Roman civilisation, the rituals were carried out in Jupiter's temple. There were games and fests for two days.

May[[image:4443984_f248.jpg width="141" height="201" align="right" caption="Bona Dea, courtesy of hubpages.com"]]
1 May was the Bona Dea Festival. It was observed by the participation of women in the temple. Bona Dea was the daughter, sister or wife of Faunus, god of fertility. Floralia is continued on from April 27th to the 3rd of May. Flora is the goddess of flowers and gardens, She was worshiped to prevent severe weather conditions from destroying gardens. They observed the day by doing extremely dramatic dances. This festival is movable as it depends on the actual condition of the flowers and crops.

In May, Rome worry about the spring harvest and a procession goes around the village borders or around the crops, and rites are performed to Ceres. Ludi Martiales is held on the 12th of May. They are games held in connection with the dedication of the shrine and temple of Mars Ultor. It is also held on August 1. Ludi Mercury is on May 15. It is the birthday of Mercury, who could travel with the speed of thought.

June
9 June is when the Vestalia happens. It is when married women are permitted to enter the forbidden parts of Vesta's shrine and make offerings. This month is considered unlucky until the Vestal Virgins cleaned their sanctuary on the 15th. Then, the entire of Rome sacrifices to Fortuna on 24 June.

July
Juno is the Roman goddess of women & marriage. She acted as a guardian angel. She is one of the highest deity, along with her brother and husband Jupiter. The Nonae Caprotina and Matronalia are held in honor of Juno as well. The First days of the month, Kalends, are also sacred to Juno. On the 7th of July, Juno Caprotina is celebrated under a fig tree in Campus Martius, which is located near the Tiber River.

The Apollonian Games are held from the 6th to the 13th. This event includes sporting, musical contests, plays and pantomimes. They also sacrficed an ox to Apollo. Apollo is an ancient Greek god, and was made the god of healing and restoration by the Romans.

Furrinalia is held on the 25th of July. Furina, is the Roman goddess associated with spring. Many scholars didn't favour Furina as she was known as a deity of darkness.

August
Many businessmen sacrifice to Hercules at the start of the month. The Vinalia Rustica (Vinalia) is held the second time in the year on August 19. There is a festival for the ancient god Consus on 21 August and this is pretty much interesting because chariot races were held around his temple. The festival still takes places, with the unavoidable presence of horses.

On August 23 is the minor celebration of Vulcanalia. People would burn a whole cow as a sacrifice to Vulcan, the deity of destructive volcanic fire. They did so because at this time of the year, forest fires were common and the grain houses were at danger of catching fire. Nemoralia is a festival to Diana, goddess of the hunt in territory of Aricia. She was supposed to protect the precious fruit trees and vines.

September
There is only one festival; the games of Ludi Romani, which lasts from the 4th to the 19th, that overpowers the other festivals. This festival means Roman Games. It was originally a one day event, but was extended later on by Julius Caesar to a full fifteen day event. The event starts off with a procession around the city to the Circus Maximus. Athletes, musicians, charioteers, placators of gods and about-to-be killed animals parade their way to the hippodrome. Events like boxing, wrestling and chariot racing was enough to pass the days through. On the Ides of September, a nail is driven into the walls of the Temple of Jupiter. Until now, there are more than 700 nails on the walls.

October
During this month, the festival of the October horse, which is a no-holds-barred horse race, happens on the Campus Martius. The city becomes divided quickly in their support of different horses. One of the winning horses is used by the Vestal Virgins in one of their sacred festivals.

November
In the month of November, the Plebeian Games (Ludi Plebii) runs smoothly, with a famous procession from the Capitol to the Circus through the Forum. This festival is dedicated to Jupiter. It is quite similar to the Roman Games (Ludi Romani).

For the first nine days, citizens spent their time in the theatre. Then, on the 15th to 17th, the games begin. Popular and overrated horse and chariot races were compulsory, with competitive sports like wrestling, boxing and running. The Ides of November are for huge aristocratic banquets and those who dine with them establishes the social hierarchy for the coming year.

December
The month of December starts with the women-only festival to the Bona Dea (Good Goddess) and ends with the Saturnalia, which is launched with a huge public event in the Forum, open for everyone to attend. There are games and parties and "legal" gambling in the streets.

Saturnalia is when grudges of the year are put aside, public buildings and shops close down, masters address their servants while people tend to cross-dress. It begins on winter solstice day and continues on for six more days. Rules were usually let loose and everything reversible would be done so.

Ops is yet another fertility goddess. She appears to be holding a loaf of bread on her left hand and her right hand makes a gesture as to offer help. She is known to be Saturn's wife. Opalia (December 19) was observed by women touching the earth to obtain Ops's fertility.

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