Today was the last day of Anthesphoria, the celebration of spring. We honor Aphrodite Antheia, the lady of flowers, and thank her for the blossoming world around us. Spring is a time of beauty, love, and rebirth. The goddess walks with us at all times, and helps us bloom with the changing seasons. Praise be to you, Mother Aphrodite! Thank you for reminding us that, just like flowers, we are beautiful. Thank you for reminding us that, just like spring, we will always return from dark times more vibrant than ever before. Khaîre, my beloved goddess! Happy spring!
Today is the last day of Anthesphoria, the celebration of spring. We honor Queen Hera Antheia, the goddess who delights in flowers. Praise be to you, Queen Mother! Spring is the season of renewal, new life, and new beginnings. Thank you, goddess, for bringing about newness in our world. Thank you, goddess, for filling our souls and universe with goodness. Khaîre Queen Mother Hera! Happy spring!
And we welcome our lady of flowers, our goddess of spring, to earth again, as she bids farewell to her husband, and brings along warm weather and green colors to her beloved mother.
Anthesphoria, from the Greek words anthes (flower) and phoria (to bear/carry), is a spring flower festival. In Sicily, Italy, the principle city of celebrations for this festival, it was held in honour of Persephone and her return from Hades. Women would gather flowers in the fields and make garlands with the fresh blooms, as Persephone was in the meadows with the Oceanide nymphs collecting flowers when she was abducted by Hades. It is believed to be a women's festival but I can find no mention of men barred from participating.
I sing of the revered goddess, rich-haired Demeter, and her long-legged daughter whom Hades snatched while she played with the virgin daughters of Oceanus, far from Golden Grain Demeter, who bears shining fruit. She picked lush meadow flowers: roses, crocuses, lovely violets, irises, hyacinths - and a narcissus Gaia grew as a lure for the blossoming girl [...]
-Homeric Hymn to Demeter, trans. Diane Rayor
Strabo the geographer (64BC - 24AD) also mentions the festival was celebrated in Hipponium, now named Viba Valentia, in southern Italy. Strabo stresses the importance of using hand-picked flowers for the garlands used in the festival:
And because the country round about Hipponium has luxuriant meadows abounding in flowers, people have believed that Core used to come hither from Sicily to gather flowers; and consequently it has become the custom among the women of Hipponium to gather flowers and to weave them into garlands, so that on festival days it is disgraceful to wear bought garlands.
Celebrations of the Anthesphoria were also common in the Peloponnese, where it was celebrated in honour of Hera Antheia at Argos, and of Aphrodite Antheia at Cnossus. In Argos the women would carry basket filled with their twined garlands and lead a procession through the city as flutes played.
A magazine article published in 1849 tells a tale of the basket-bearers chosen to lead the festival:
To be chosen canephora (basket-bearer) was as if "beautiful" were stamped on the lintel of a woman's door. It secured her reputation for loveliness, and filled her tablets with lovers; garlands were hung about her doors, and the threshold recked with costly wine; the city echoed with her name; cups were emptied to her praises sung by the poets of a feast; her power was written on every wall, and her name inscribed on every tree, until Athens grew weary with the news that half a score of youths had fallen in love with some fair child seen as canephor at a procession.
Under the epithet Antheia, Aphrodite has been compared to the Roman deity Flora, and Anthesphoria to their festival Floraia (Florifertum).
The Cypria echoes the Homeric Hymn to Demeter and Persephone's time in the meadows when describing Aphrodite:
She clothed herself with garments which the Graces and Hours had made for her and dyed in flowers of spring -- such flowers as the Seasons wear -- in crocus and hyacinth and flourishing violet and the rose's lovely bloom, so sweet and delicious, and heavenly buds, the flowers of the narcissus and lily. In such perfumed garments is Aphrodite clothed at all seasons.
How to Celebrate the Anthesphoria
Head out into nature at springtime with your friends and pick flowers in the open air. Mimic the nymphs dancing and flitting about the grasses, and sing songs or whisper stories of how Plouton could leap out at any minute to capture you. Weave flower crowns and daisy chains, tuck a brightly coloured bud behind your ear, and enjoy a picnic spread out under the sun.
Please keep in mind some places restrict the picking of wildflowers, so check your local legislation for such things.
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Sources:
Strabo Geography book 6 (256)
The Anthesphoria at Athens, Littell's Living Age. 22 (271): 163
Modernly yes, it is celebrated on the Spring Equinox, but traditionally I believe it’s not known exactly when it was celebrated but likely around the same time as the Spring Equinox considering it is a flower festival.
I’m not going to share my rituals in this post, it would be too long. This is just a summary of the festivals I regularly celebrate, how they were celebrated in ancient Greece and a bit about how I celebrate them. Unfortunately, many of the festivals related to Demeter were kept secret on punishment of death. We know some things that they did and can infer meaning from that. And I definitely don’t want to perfectly recreate these rituals. I don’t eat pork. I don’t want to sacrifice a piglet. I don’t fast for personal health reasons. But I believe historical context is important. Many festivals in Ancient Greece were celebrated over many days or on different dates across Greece. This just isn’t functional in the modern world. I chose to celebrate many of them on equinoxes and solstices because the festivals generally represent the changing of the seasons and we use those dates to represent the start of seasons. Likewise, so much of the Greek calendar was based on astronomical occurrence (lunar and solar cycles, constellations, etc.) that the ancient dates just aren’t accurate anymore. I’m not an astronomer, so I’m not going to try explaining precession, instead you can read this helpful article on Hipparchus, the ancient Greek astronomer and mathematician who discovered it. If you would like to read further on the complications of the Ancient Greek calendar system, here is a helpful article!
Anthesteria - February 2
This festival was traditionally celebrated on the full moon between January and February, but in America, February 2 is Groundhog’s Day and supposedly determines whether or not we will have 6 more weeks of winter, and I love Groundhog’s Day. This, also, allows me to keep my usual full moon rituals. Anthesteria was sacred to Dionysus and was the opening of last year’s wine and a drinking festival. The Greeks believed the spirits of the dead walked among them during this time so libations were poured for deceased family, protections cast for self and home, and offerings of seeds and barley made to Hermes so he would take the spirits back to the Underworld. I like to celebrate this festival by watching the groundhog in hopes of an early spring, starting seeds indoors, and inviting friends over for games and trying my homemade wine.
Anthesphoria - Spring Equinox, March 21
This festival was celebrated to honor Persephone’s return to Demeter. People would process through the streets to the temple carrying flowers as offerings to the goddesses, a nod to how Persephone was picking flowers when she was taken. Ways I celebrate include planting in my garden, giving gifts of potted flowers to friends and family, and giving offerings of Narcissus and sweet honey treats like Baklava.
Thargelia - May 21
This festival celebrates the birth of Artemis and Apollo. It usually took place around May 24 and 25; however, I am a Gemini and cannot help celebrating the birth of the Twins at the start of Gemini season. This, also, helps it feel more in time with their birth story considering Artemis was born 9 days before and helped deliver Apollo (to the end of May). Traditionally, olive branches would be bound by wool and hung over the front door to bless the crops and growing season, and first fruits offered to the birthday Gods.
Skiraphoria - Summer Solstice, June 21
A fertility festival honoring Demeter, Kore, Athena, Dionysus, and Poseidon. Some participants would descend into pits and pull out what was sacrificed at Thesmophoria, to sprinkle through the fields to ensure a good harvest. This was the final grain harvest in Greece, and the start of the dry season. As a homesteader, I like to spend time in my garden, spreading compost, harvesting, and planting for a late harvest.
The Greater Mysteries - Autumnal Equinox, September 21
Historically, you would participate in this ritual after being initiated into the lesser mysteries. It began with a procession through the streets, then an all night vigil, acting out Demeter’s search for her daughter. A sacred drink called the kykeon was shared, followed by the secret ritual. To celebrate this, I will go for a hike, or have a harvest feast of thanks with my friends, leaving a plate for Demeter, and telling her story. I also begin to make the wine to be opened on Anthesteria at this time.
Thesmophoria - October 31
This festival honors Persephone’s descent into the Underworld, and was celebrated in what would have been late October, early November. Participants would sacrifice pigs and cast them into pits to rot with phallus shapes breads. This rot would be used later at Skiraphoria. Then they would fast, and pray for fertility. Like I said, I don’t want to sacrifice pigs, BUT I do make the bread and other treats to share with friends while we’re up to Halloween shenanigans. This is also when I bottle my homemade wine for storage and aging.
The Lesser Mysteries - Winter Solstice, December 21
Initiation into the Lesser Mysteries was required to experience the Greater Mysteries. Participants would make a sacrifice of a piglet, then be purified in a river. I use this time for ritual cleansing the past year off of myself and my home, and setting goals for the new year. I make offerings to Hestia at this time, to bless and keep my home.
