Today Is …

Today Is …

 

Birthday of Artemis. Spend the day alone in the woods or with women friends and family.

Floralia and Beltane ~ Ancient Roman Floralia (Florales Ludi) was a festival from April 28 – May 2 which began in Rome in 238 B.C. Floralia was originally a Spring Festival which honors Roman Goddess of Flowers, Flora (Chloris) another manifestation of the earth-goddess which includes Fauna, Maia and Ops. The temple of this goddess was founded on this day on the Aventine. Offerings of milk and honey were made on this day and the surrounding five days, which comprise the Florifertum. The city would have been decorated in flowers, and the people would wear floral wreaths or flowers in their hair. Games would be celebrated on this day. The celebration of this day survives in many cultures where it is known as May Day.

The maypole was later added from the Celts’ Druidic tree worship. The maypole with its flower crown representing sexual organs channels the Earth’s energy through the circlet around its top, bringing fertility to all who dance around it. The ribbons were traditionally red and white, the colors of marriage and consummation. The dancers would go under the first person and over the next weaving the ribbons about the tree.

Beltane is the Celtic festival marking the beginning of summer, where the cattle was driven between purifying fires before they were let out to graze the meadows. Also the festival of Belenus, the Celtic God of Fire and the Sun. Beltane” was Bel-fire, or fire of the Celtic God Bel (Beli, Balar, Balor, Belenus), “Bright One,” God of Light and Fire. In the Celtic tradition, Beltane was the beginning of Summer. On this date, the herds were driven to the summer pastures, where they would graze and grow fat for the coming winter.

Hocktide/Binding Monday – Similar to the Monday and Tuesday after Easter, the Monday and Tuesday after Low Sunday were celebrated in England for many years with rowdy games, and sports. Sometimes they were known as Binding Monday and Tuesday because the women went out, caught men, bound them with ropes and only released them when they paid a forfeit (a kiss or a sum of money). The following day the men retaliated. This order was reversed in some places.
Hole, Christina, A Dictionary of British Folk Customs, Paladin 1978

Floralia Begins – The Romans began honored the Sabine Goddess of blossoms and spring with six days of celebrations including games, pantomimes, plays and stripteases, which went on into the night illuminated by torchlight. Everyone wore their most colorful clothes and decked themselves and their animals in flowers. Goats and hares were let loose–they represented fertility and sexuality and Venus in her role as patroness of cultivated nature. Small vegetables (one imagines cucumbers and zucchinis) were distributed as fertility tokens. Flora represented the sexual aspect of plants, the attractiveness of the flowers, and was the matron of prostitutes.

Blackburn, Bonnie and Leofranc Holford-Strevens, Oxford Companion to the Year, Oxford University Press, 1999
Rufus, Anneli, The World Holiday Book, Harper San Francisco 1994

28 – May 3:The three day Festival of Flora and Venus, or the Florialia in Rome; Goddess of Sexuality and Spring flowers.

30: Walpurgisnacht celebrated by German Witches

Courtesy of GrannyMoonsMorningFeast