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Ancient Greece Festivals

Decent Essays

In Ancient Greece, women were allowed to take part in nearly all religious festivals, and there were even some restricted to only women. Thesmophoria, a great festival, is of significance as it is a festival which celebrates a fertility rite for Demeter. Married noblewomen are the only people who can observe and celebrate this festival. The basis of this celebration was women preforming rites and celebrating on Demeter’s hilltop sanctuary for three days. Sadly, there is little evidence of specific rituals, there is evidence that pigs were sacrificed and buried, and the remains of the pigs sacrificed from the previous year were then offered to the goddess. In general, most festivals in Ancient Greece were to praise and honour Demeter, a selected few honoured other goddesses. Other festivals such as, Brauronia and Arrheporia are also included, which are rites of passage in which girls became women. The festivals that women were allowed to partake, or led, were generally about a girl’s development into adulthood, or celebrating their womanhood.

The Cult of Athena was an integral part of society on Ancient Greece. In addition to this, women played a vital role in the cult. Athena as a priesthood figure was of great importance, and she used her power to influence political positions. Lesser Panathenaea is the most significantly festival while looking at festivals to Athena, it was held o fa yearly basis and celebrated by both genders. During this festival men and women were not

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