My 2021 Festival Year - January 7, 2021
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My 2021 Festival Year - January 7, 2021 2:04 PM / Jessie
Here is an overview of what my festival year for 2021 looks like or at least what I’m planning for it to look like. I have left it open for me to change things around as need be, but this is the basic structure for now. I wanted to share just so you have an idea and perhaps a guide to creating your own festival year. I also wanted to show that you do have the ability to build your festival calendar however way you choose to. There are no “have tos” or “shoulds”. This is about what resonates with you and celebrating your own personal worship or devotion.
I decided to follow the Gregorian Calendar as opposed to the Lunar Calendar that the Greeks followed. I just find it easier to follow along and incorporate into my life when everything is aligned with one calendar. Therefore, you’ll see a lot of festivals being held on different days than when they were believed to be celebrated in antiquity. Some I kept on their traditional days and others I changed to what made sense for me and my calendar. Like I said it’s about what resonates with you.
The biggest piece of advice that I can offer when creating your festival calendar is to start off small. Celebrate festivals that are relevant to the gods you are worshiping and even with that only go with the ones you are interested in or feel connected to. Don’t force yourself to celebrate holidays you aren’t particularly interested in. Forced celebrations are no fun for anyone! Also keep in mind that you are likely going to be changing and adapting this calendar often. Don’t treat this like it’s written in stone. You are free to add and subtract as much as you choose, just stay realistic with what you can manage.
Throughout the year I’ll be posting about each of the festivals I’m celebrating and share with you what the festival was for, how it was celebrated in antiquity, and how I’m choosing to celebrate as a modern Hellenic Polytheist. I’ll be sure to post those in advance, so you have a chance to celebrate with me! Also let me know in the comments if you are interested in me posting about how exactly I went about making this calendar. I know it can be a little daunting so if I you would like a post about that, let me know!
And without further ado, here is My 2021 Festival Year!
January
1st: Noumenia
2nd: Agathos Daimon
3rd: Athena
4th: Aphrodite, Hermes
6th: Artemis
7th: Apollo
8th: Poseidon
13th: New Moon
28th: Full Moon (Selene)
31st: Hekate’s Deipnon
February
1st: Noumenia
2nd: Agathos Daimon
3rd: Athena
4th: Aphrodite, Hermes
6th: Artemis
7th: Apollo*
8th: Poseidon
10th: Theogamia
11th: New Moon
14th: Valentine’s Day
23rd: Anthesteria Pithoigia
24th: Anthesteria Khoes
25th: Anthesteria Khytrai
27th: Full Moon (Selene)
28th: Hekate’s Deipnon
March
1st: Noumenia
2nd: Agathos Daimon
3rd: Athena
4th: Aphrodite, Hermes
6th: Elaphebolion
7th: Apollo*
8th: Poseidon
10th: Lesser Mysteries
13th: New Moon
20th: Spring Equinox
24th-28th: Great Dionysia
28th: Full Moon (Selene)
31st: Hekate’s Deipnon
April
1st: Noumenia
2nd: Agathos Daimon
3rd: Athena
4th: Aphrodite, Hermes
6th: Artemis
7th: Delphinia
8th: Poseidon
11th: New Moon
22nd: Earth Day
26th: Mounykhia, Full Moon (Selene)
30th: Hekate’s Deipnon
May
1st: Noumenia
2nd: Agathos Daimon
3rd: Athena
4th: Aphrodite, Hermes
6th: Artemis
7th: Apollo
8th: Poseidon
9th: Mother’s Day
11th: New Moon
18th: Thargelia
19th: Thargelia
26th: Full Moon (Selene)
31st: Hekate’s Deipnon
June
1st: Noumenia
2nd: Agathos Daimon
3rd: Athena
4th: Aphrodite*, Hermes
6th: Artemis
7th: Apollo
8th: Poseidon
10th: New Moon
20th: Father’s Day
21st: Summer Solstice
24th: Full Moon (Selene)
27th: Hyacinthia
30th: Hekate’s Deipnon, My Birthday!
July
1st: Noumenia
2nd: Agathos Daimon
3rd: Athena
4th: Aphrodite, Hermes
6th: Artemis
7th: Apollo
8th: Poseidon
9th: New Moon
16th: Aphrodisia
23rd: Full Moon (Selene)
31st: Hekate’s Deipnon
August
1st: Noumenia
2nd: Agathos Daimon
3rd: Artemis
4th: Aphrodite, Hermes*
6th: Artemis
7th: Apollo
8th: Poseidon, New Moon
22nd: Full Moon (Selene)
24th-27th: Eleusinia
31st: Hekate’s Deipnon
September
1st: Noumenia
2nd: Agathos Daimon
3rd: Athena
4th: Aphrodite, Hermes
6th: Artemis Agrotera*, New Moon
7th: Boedromia
8th: Poseidon
9th: Niketeria
12th: Genesia
19th: Demokratia
20th: Full Moon (Selene)
22nd: Autumn Equinox
22nd-28th: Eleusinian Mysteries
30th: Hekate’s Deipnon
October
1st: Noumenia
2nd: Agathos Daimon
3rd: Athena
4th: Aphrodite, Hermes
6th: Artemis, New Moon
7th: Apollo
8th: Poseidon
20th: Full Moon (Selene)
31st: Halloween
November
1st: Noumenia
2nd: Agathos Daimon
3rd: Khalkeria
4th: Aphrodite, Hermes, New Moon
6th: Artemis
7th: Apollo*
8th: Poseidon
19th: Adonia, Full Moon (Selene)
30th: Hekate’s Deipnon
December
1st: Noumenia
2nd: Agathos Daimon
3rd: Athena
4th: Aphrodite, Hermes, New Moon
6th: Artemis
7th: Apollo
8th: Poseidea
15th-18th: Rural Dionysia
18th: Full Moon (Selene)
21st: Winter Solstice (Helios)
31st: Hekate’s Deipnon, New Year’s Eve
- Indicates that a sacred day of the month and sacred day of the week for a particular deity matches up. This could be seen as an extra special day filled with that god’s energy. For more on sacred days please refer to my previous post
Resources Used:
Hellenic Festival Year by Baring the Aegis
Parke, Herbert William. Festivals of the Athenians. Cornell University Press, 1994.