Pagan Festival Shout Out: Thesmophoria

The Thesmophoria (Ancient Greek: Θεσμοφόρια) was an ancient Greek religious festival, held in honor of the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone. The festival was held annually at Autumn during the period when Fall seeds were sown and harvests were brought in. It is time which celebrated human and agricultural fertility.

The Thesmophoria was one of the most widespread ancient Greek festivals. The fact that it was celebrated across the Greek world suggests that it dates back to before the Greek settlement in Ionia in the eleventh century BCE. The festival was dedicated to Demeter and her daughter Persephone and was celebrated in order to promote fertility, both human and agricultural. It was celebrated only by women, and men were forbidden to see or hear about the rites. However these are modern times and antiquated gender-biased concepts should be shed. Spiritual expression and ritual practice should be open to all who wish to participate. What god or goddess wouldn't welcome more worship from the devoted?

The festival lasted three days, although in Attica it was lengthened to five. The original days were Pyanopsion (October) 12–14 and were called respectively anodos (or kathodos), nēsteia, and kalligeneia. At least a great part of the Thesmophoria was carried out by torchlight and was accompanied by ceremonial coarse abuse.