Roman Festivals
The festivals of ancient Rome
included many customs which have been carried over into later holidays.
The main significance of ancient Rome in relation to modern holidays is that
many of these customs still continue today.
These were on the old Roman calendar.
 Agonalia, January 9. Honors Janus, whom the Romans invoked before undertaking any affair of importance.
Also on May 21 and December 11.
Carmentalia. January 11-15 [or 11th and 15th?].
Paganalia, January 24-26.
Feralia. Occurred in January.
Faunalia, February 13.
Fornicalia. February. A corn festival in honor of Fornax.
Parentalia, February 13-21.
Lupercalia, February 15. See below.
Quirinalia, February 17.
Feast of Fools, February 17. A celebration for people who had not participated with their curia in the Fornacalia.
[same as Quirinalia?]
Feralia, February 18.
Terminalia, February 23.
Regifugium, February 24. Also known as
Fugalia.
Equiria, February 27.
Matronalia, March 1.
Equiria, March 14.
Ides of March, March 15. It was on the Ides of March that Julius Caesar was assasinated.
festival of Anna Perenna, March 15.
Liberalia, March 17. Also known as
Agonalia.
Quinquatrus[Quinquatria?], March 19-21.
Tubilustrium, March 23.
Magalesia, April 4-10.
Fordicidia, April 15. Honored Tellus, Goddess of Earth, and was observed by slaughtering pregnant cows,
taking the unborn calves from the womb, and burning theim inorder to insure fertility
for the growing corn.
Cerealia, April 19. Celebrates the beginning of the six vegetative months.
Parilia, April 21. Honored the pastoral goddes Pales, and was observed by driving sheep through
burning straw.
Also called
Palilia.
Vinalia, April 23. A festival celebrated by sampling new wine.
Robigalia, April 25.
Floria, April 28 to May 3.
Festival of the Lares Præstites, May 1.
Lemuria, May 9-13.
Ludi Martiales, May 12.
Ludi Merceruy, May 15. The birthday of Mercury, who could travel with the speed of thought.
Ambarvalia, May 29.
Semo Sanctus, occurred in June.
The Vestalia, June 9. Honors Vesta, the virgin sister of Zeus, and goddess of hearth and home.
In Rome, a perpetual fire that was dedicated to her was tended by six virgin
priestesses, or "vestal virgins".
Matralia, June 11.
Quinquatrus Minusculoe, June 13.
Ludi Apollinares, July 5. Celebrated with games in honor of Apollo.
Neptunalia, July 23.
Nemoralia, August 13. In honor of Diana.
Portunalia, August 17.
Vinalia Rustica, August 19.
Ludi Consualia, August 21. Honored Consus, the god of counsel and secret plans, and was celebrated with
horse and chariot races.
Volcanalia, August 23.
Ludi Magni. [Ludi Magni begins sep 4th in honor of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva.
same as Romani? britannica]
Romani, September 5-19.
Meditrinalia, October 11. Celebrated when a liberation of new wine was made in honor of Meditrina.
Faunalia, October 13.
Equiria, October 15. Celebrated when the "equus October" was sacrificed to Mars in the Campus Martius.
Armilustrium, October 19.
Sullani, October 26 to Nov 1.
Plebii, November 4-17.
Epulum Jovis, November 13.
Faunalia, December 5.
Larentalia, occurred in December.
Agonia, December 11. Observed by sacrificing victims on the seven hills of Rome.
Saturnalia, December 17-23. See below.
Opalia, December 19. Honored Ops, the goddess of plenty and fertility.
Floralia (Floria)
April 28 to May 3.
Predecessor to Pentecost and May Day.
It is a celebration of spring that honors Flora, the goddess of flowers and spring.
According to legend it was initiated by Romulus in 753 BC, but it more likely began
in 238 BC.
Lupercalia
February 15.
An ancient Roman festival held annually in honor Lupercus [aka Faunus], the god of
fertility, woodlands, and pastures.
Lupercalia is older than Rome itself.
The festivities were run by the
Luperci, or "Brotherhood of the Wolf".
Two male goats and a dog were sacrificed, and the blood of the goats was smeared on the
foreheads of two youths with a knife.
The knife was then wiped on wool dipped in milk, and the youths were required to laugh.
The Luperci, who administered the rites, were crowned, anointed, and wore only an apron
of goatskin.
Women would line up along the road to receive lashes from the whips to insure fertility.
Another custom was to put the names of girls in a box, to be drawn by the boys.
Bishop [pope] Gelasius replaced the Lupercalia with the Feast of the Purification of the
Virgin in A.D.
494, or Candlemas, which was first observed on February 14 [15?].
Customs of Lupercalia have been carried over into Valentine's Day, Candlemas, Feast of
the Nativity and possibly also Carnival.
Saturnalia
December 17-23.
The festival of Saturn celebrated in ancient Rome, at the end of the vintage and
harvesting, with feasting and unrestrained merrymaking.
It honored Saturn, the god of agriculture.
Observance included exchanging presents and offering sacrifices.
Masters served their slaves as a token of the equality of rank and the lack of
class distinctions during the golden age (which was supposedly ruled over by Saturn).
Many Christian customs are derived from this festival.
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