#haloa

[kimario2007]

ANGEL AND ZERO AS DUOS

[theoxenia]

Celebrations of the Haloa, the bawdy midwinter festival in honour of Demeter and Dionysus mentioned earlier, may not always have excluded men. A fictive hetaira in one of Lucian's Dialogues of Courtesans identifies someone by recalling that he drank with her at last year's Haloa festival. The incidental nature of her remark suggests that, as in the case of the Adonia, males may not have been excluded from all festivities associated with the Haloa (at least by the second century A.D.). Also, mixed thiasoi (groups of Dionysiac worshippers) that involved initiation were including males by the fifth century B.C., and the group activities doubtless included eating and drinking rites.

Women's Commensality In The Ancient Greek World by Joan Burton

[hearthfirehandworks]

The Haloa, held during winter on 26 Poseideon (27 December in 2024) at Eleusis, was a festival honoring Dionysos and Demeter. (Parker Polytheism 167) The word Haloa means “threshing floor,” the place for an unusal women’s ritual wherein the women enjoyed a feast prepared for them by the magistrates of the town, ate cakes in the shape of genitalia, made bawdy conversation and told dirty jokes (Parke 99).

[templeof-demeter]

Celebrating Haloa

Haloa is a midwinter festival, this festival honored Demeter and Dionysus. There is some evidence of a secondary festival honoring Poseidon as well. Generally, it seems to be that women celebrated with honoring Demeter and Dionysus, while men celebrated with honoring Poseidon- though there is some debate about this.

This festival was likely to give thanks for good crops and the first fruits of the season and ask for fertile ground for the crops to come.

This holiday was considerably erotic, likely including things like phallic shaped cakes, dancing around a giant phallus object, and vulgar jokes and language or ritual obscenities.

In modernity, we can do various activities to celebrate.

• Offer in season fruits to Demeter and Dionysus

• A large feast

• And/or bake some desserts

• Have a bonfire

• Or light candles

• Read the Orphic Hymns 30 or 45, or Homeric Hymns to Demeter and Dionysus.

If age appropriate:

• Bake genitalia shaped pastries

• Watch an erotic comedy

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

Haloa

~ 26 Poseideon ~

Haloa, or Alo, was celebrated in honor of Demeter primary in Eleusis. Dionysos and Poseidon were also honored this day as harvest deities. Haloa was celebrated after the first winter harvest. The festival might have been a fertility festival as well.

Citizens gathered at a threshing floor (a flat surface used to separate grain by foot or oxen) at the same time to celebrate. Citizens is used here instead of Women due to the fact that men might have attended, though there is no concrete evidence of such. Women most definitely lead the day. Due to this little is known about the ancient festival.

Roman writer, Lucian, highlighted the festival in a negative light towards the women, showing them with snakes, pigs and genitalia. He stated that it was in a sexual light and because of such was "marked." Here is the quote itself: “pits, snakes, pigs, and models of genitalia, all of which have a more or less marked sexual significance.” (Blundell, Williamson)

We know that Haloa was connected to the Mysteries of Demeter, Kore, and Dionysos. Poseidon Phytalmios also seemed to be celebrated.

Due to the mid-winter timing, the harvest was sacred to both Demeter and Dionysos. As such, wine was a large part of this festival as many are led to believe that Dionysos had a bigger holding over this harvest than Demeter. Haloa can mark the shift towards Dionysian festivals in the year.

At the center, Haloa is still a Demeter festival. Because of such a large feast was held. Banished foods were not included during this day, such as Pomegranates and Meat. Blood-sacrifices were also banned.

Haloa's Women-Rituals were similar to Thesmophoria's. Both included sex-symbols and wine-consumption. Priestesses were told to whisper to women words not dared said aloud. Because of this the role of a Priestess is highlighted during this festival. They led the rites of women with offerings and ceremonies.

Traditional Offerings:

In-Season Fruits

Genitalia-shaped cakes

Demeter Imagery

Dionysos Imagery

Traditional Acts:

Bonfires/Fires

Hymns to Demeter

Hymns to Dionysos

Feasts

[seaofwine]

being in a joint-pagan hellenic reconstructionist household means baking your wife penis-shaped cookies while she’s at work for a festival she’s celebrating

[helpful-hierophant]

Haloa reflections & Resolutions

Reflecting on Haloa as it dawns tomorrow, I want to make sure I am really taking in a festivals meaning and not just going through the motions. celebrating the beginning of cultivating and asking for the earth to be seen bountiful again. It aligns with new years for humans doesn’t it?

Our new years resolutions are like the harvest we beg to come. Every year I swear that I will be better about following my calendar, being more devoted than before...And I think now I understand that mentally that’s not something I should stress myself over, or set up for failing to meet that promise. I am going into 2023 with the mindset of just appreciating and loving my path, giving and taking as my mental health can give. Writing out my thoughts like this helps me feel like it’s my love letters to the gods, and a way to make sure I do as I wish; to take away something new every year from my festivals. 

Praise be to the gods.

[domestichearthwitch]

Sipping some cranberry wine while cozied up on a couch thinking about the gods. Happy Winter Solstice and Happy Holidays.