An important role during the Lupercalia was played by the cult of the aforementioned Faun – a Roman deity, half-human, half-goat. The holiday was to be established by the mythological Evander. Lupercalia – Lupercalia was a festival in honour of the god Faun or originally the Old Roman god of shepherds Luperkus, who protected their herds from wolves.The celebrations ended on February 21 Feraliami They gave them gifts ( sacrificia): flowers – most often violets, salt, wheat, bread dipped in wine, milk and wine, feeding them in such a way that they would not harm the living. Parentalia – these days the Romans visited the graves of their ancestors in cemeteries outside the city, behind the holy border pomerium.On this day, sacrifices were made in the form of traditional sacrificial cakes, home-baked cakes and pregnant sow for Ceres and Mater Tellus, thus asking for protection of the crops against birds, ants, cold weather, bad weather, weeds and parasites. Paganalia – festival in honour of Ceres (goddess of vegetation and fertility) and Tellus (goddess of fertility)), so-called sowing festival.In these chapels, sacrifices were asked for peace, while the main ceremonies took place at Ara Pacis. Then these chapels embraced the cult of Genius Augustus, which eventually turned into a cult Lares Augusti. Octavian August changed the character of these celebrations after the division of Rome into 265 districts, gave the order to put on all streets and border intersections between the districts of chapels in honour of Lares Compitales. At the beginning, it was a rural feast, during which farmers made sacrifices asking for peace in the state. festival of peace – festival during which sacrifices were made at the altars of peace.They appeared at Juturna’s sources capturing horses and proclaiming victory while the battle was still going on. When the scales of victory on the side of the enemy appeared two young men on white steeds, who rushed to the opponent, and after a while the Romans started to counterattack, and the young men disappeared. Anniversary of the construction of the first Temple of Castor and Pollux at the Roman Forum, which was a vote of thanks for victory over the Latinos at Lake Regillus.The name of the holiday comes from the question, which before the sacrifice was asked by the priest: “Agone?”, Meaning “should I kill?” On the day of the celebration of Rex Sacrorum, he sacrificed a ram in Regia, asking God for favour and protection against evil and death. Other days are: March 17 – in honour of the god of war Mars May 21 – in honour of the god of the underworld and the death of Veiovisa (feast of Veiovisa) December 11 – in honour of the sun god Sola Indigesa.

That day, the god of all origins was worshipped.

Agonalia – a festival celebrated four times.

Rex Sacrorum announced public feasts in January.

The consuls promised that their successors would repeat the same thing next year Feast of Veiovisa (also on May 21) the feast of Aesculapius. Bulls were sacrificed to Jupiter as a thank you for looking after last year.

January calendars – new consuls were sworn in.In the city, the chairman of every insulae sacrificed a hen on the altar raised at each intersection. A cleansing offering was made for the coming year. He assembled a plough and wooden dolls there, one for each person at home. Compitalia – in the countryside, every farmer built a small chapel with an altar on the border of their fields.One of the most important and best ancient sources dedicated to the Roman feasts is “Fasti” Ovid, which is an endless poem describing the festivals from January to June in the time of Octavian Augustus. Imperativae were feasts announced on demand.The date of the holiday was announced by the masters or priests who were responsible for their organization. Conceptivae were annual feasts that were often moved.Stativae were feasts that had a fixed date on the calendar. This article refers to public feasts, including the ordinances of priests in temples, as well as major festivities celebrated by neighbourhoods and families. Feriae privatae were feasts celebrated in honour of individuals or families. When feriae was financed from a public purse, ludi were often sponsored by individual rich people. Games ( ludi), such as Ludi Apollinares, were not actually feriae, but rather dies festi, i.e. State festivals and celebrations were financed from the public treasury and were celebrated by all Romans. Feriae (or dies ferialis – “holy days”) were either public ( publicae) or private ( privatae). Feasts in ancient Rome were an important part of Roman religious life, both in republican and imperial times, and the Roman calendar.

Saturnalia holiday