Festivals in ancient Greece

Festivals, or heortai, were a very important part of the ancient Greek religion—and Greek life in general. Each region of Greece had its own festivals, though some were panhellenic, or practised by all people in Greece. The Greeks celebrated annual festivals, monthly festivals and festivals that occurred in response to specific events. This meant that there would usually be several festivals each month in any city of ancient Greece. Calendars were also framed around festivals. Since each town or people had different festivals, they also had different calendars.

Festivals often began with a procession, referred to as a pompe. One famous festival is called the Eleusinian mysteries that begins with a procession along the road referred to as the Sacred Way that led from Athens to Eleusis. The initiates would proceed and then enter the sacred temples blindfolded. Festivals had their own social order, different from daily roles. Women, men and slaves could take part in this festival that was dedicated to Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, and her daughter Persephone, the queen of the underworld. Another festival for Demeter, called the Thesmophoria, was reserved for women only, and was widespread among all the Greek towns. Special sacrifices were also a usual part of any festival; this was important because the meat of the animal would be served to the attendants and, for many Greek people, this was the only time that they could afford to eat meat. Pigs were the defining feature of the Thesmophoria sacrifices. The women would spend all day and night alone, apart from the men, though what exactly occurred is unknown. Another festival unique to Athens came at the very end of the year and was called the Panathenaia. A grand procession would lead up to the Parthenon, where sacrifices to Athena would take place, and a huge peplos, or dress, would be dedicated to her. It is this procession that is shown in the frieze of the Parthenon, a grand temple of Athena in Athens.

Festivals were such an involved part of Greek life, and so important—and the only time many people could eat meat—that everybody took part. Some people may have been more devout, more involved in cults or carefully sacrificing to the gods several times a day, but the calendar, work days, holidays, wars, jobs, rank … everything was involved in religious practices, and so everybody participated. Only a few festivals have been described, but in actual fact there were probably hundreds that affected every aspect of life, and we only know of a few. Religion cannot be separated from the daily life of the ancient Greeks, as it was such a core part of their lives.