Roman festivals

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Festivals were Roman holidays to worship and celebrate a certain god or mythological occurance. The most important festivals were the Saturnalia, the Consualia, the Lupercalia and the rites of the Bona Dea.

The list below is organized by date. Some of these festivals were instituted in different eras. When possible, the initial date is stated.

1 Januarius
2 Februarius
3 Martius
4 Aprilis
5 Maius
6 Junius
7 Julius
8 Augustus
9 September
10 October
11 November
12 December

[edit] Januarius

January 1 – The new consuls, elected on December, entered office
January 3 – Festival in honour of Pax
January 9 - Agonalia for Janus
January 11 – Carmentalia, in honour of Carmenta
January 24 to 26 – Sementivae in honour of Ceres and Terra

[edit] Februarius

February 13 to 21 – Parentalia, in honour of the ancestors
February 15 – Lupercalia, in honour of Faunus
February 17 – Quirinalia, in honour of Quirinus

[edit] Martius

March 1 –
- Roman New Year
- Matronalia in honour of Juno
- Feriae Marti in honour of Mars
- The sacred fire of Rome was renewed (See Vesta)
March 14 – Equirria
March 15 and 16 – Bacchanalia, in honour of Bacchus
March 17 - Agonalia in honour of Mars
March 19 to 23 – Quinquatria, in honour of Minerva
March 30 – Festival of Salus

[edit] Aprilis

April 1 – Veneralia, in honour of Venus
April 12 to 19 – Ludi Cereales, games in honour of Cerealia (since 202 BC)
April 15 - Fordicia, in honour of Terra
April 21 - Parilia, in honour of Pales
April 25 - Robigalia, in honour of Robigus, with foot races
April 28 to May 1 – Ludi Florales (Floralia), games in honour of Flora

[edit] Maius

May 1 – Festival of the Bona Dea
May 9 – Feast of the Larvae (lemures)
May 15 - Mercuralia, in honour of Mercury
May 21 - Vediovis, one of the four Agonalia

[edit] Junius

June 3 – Festival in honour of Bellona
June 7 to 15 – Vestalia, in honour of Vesta
June 13 – Quinquatrus minusculae, in honour of Minerva
June 20 – Festival in honour of Summanus
June 23 - day of bad omens: anniversary of the battle of Lake Trasimene, where a Roman army is destroyed by Hannibal

[edit] Julius

July 5 – Poplifugia, festival in honour of Jupiter
July 6 to 13 – Ludi Apollinares, games in honour of Apollo (since 208 BC)
July 7 – Nonae Caprotinae Juno; also the sacerdotes publici sacrificed to Consus
July 9 – Caprotinia
July 18 – day of bad omens: defeat in Allia (390 BC) that led to the sack of Rome by the Gauls
July 19 – Lucaria
July 23 – Neptunalia held in honour of Neptune

[edit] Augustus

August 10 - Opalia in honour of Ops
August 13 - Vertumnalia in honour of Vertumnus
August 13 - Nemoralia, the festival of Torches, in honor of Diana
August 17 - Portunalia in honour of Portunus
August 19 - Vinalia Rustica in honour of Venus, commemorating the founding of the oldest known temple to her, on the Esquiline Hill, in 293 BC
August 21 – Consualia, games and races in honour of Consus
August 23 – Vulcanalia in honour of Vulcan
August 24 - one of 3 days on which the mundus was opened
August 25 - Opiconsivia in honour of Ops
August 27 – Volturnalia in honour of Volturnus

[edit] September

September - Septimontium.
September 4 to 19 – Ludi Romani, games for the people of Rome to the honour of Jupiter, organized by the curule aedile (since 366 BC)

[edit] October

October 4 - Ieiunium Cereris: Fast of Ceres, instituted in 191 BC; at that time that date fell in late spring
October 5 - one of 3 days on which the mundus was opened
October 6 - day of bad omens: anniversary of the battle of Arausio (105 BC)
October 11 - Meditrinalia in honour of Meditrina
October 13 - festival dedicated to Fontus
October 15 – Equirria, the "equus October" sacrificed to Mars in the Campus Martius
October 19 - Armilustrium in honour of Mars