What were some sacred festivals in Ancient Rome?
The Roman calendar was jam-packed with religious festivals. Most
of them, but not all, were in honour of the numerous deities of the
Romans. The list below is not exhaustive.
There were the Compitalia in honour of the Lares Compitales,
deities of the crossroads, the Carmentalia in honour of the goddess
Carmenta, the Lupercalia in honour of the god Lupercus, the
Fornacalia honour of the goddess Fornax, the Quirinalia, in honour
of the god Quirinus, Feralia in honour of the Manes (spirits of the
dead), , Terminalia, in honour of the god Terminus, Veneralia in
honour of the goddess Venus, Cerialia in honour of the goddess
Ceres, the Fordicidia in honour of the goddess Telus, the Parilia
in honour of Pales, a deity of uncertain gender, the he Robigalia
in honour of the god Robigus, Floralia in honour of the goddess
Flora, the Mercuralia, in honour of the god Mercury, the Vulcanalia
in honour of the god Vulcan, the Matralia in honour of the goddess
Mater Matuta, the Fortunalia in honour of the goddess Fortuna, the
Neptunalia in honour of the god Neptune, the Furrinalia, in honour
of the goddess Furrina, the Portunalia in honour of the god
Portunes, the Consualia honour of the god Consus, Volturnalia in
honour of the god Volturnus, Fontinalia in honour of the god Fons,
the Saturnalia in honour of the god Saturn, the Opalia in honour of
the goddess Ops, the Divalia or Angeronalia in honour of the
goddess Angerona,
There were also two equirria (horse races) in honour of Mars,
four agonalia in honour of different gods (Janus, Mars, Vejovis and
Jupiter Indiges) the Feriae Iovi ion honour of Jupiter, the
Quinquatria or Quinquatrus in honour of the goddess Minerva, and
the Megalesia in honour of the goddess Mater Magna (Great
Mother),
There were festivals not directly connected with deities: the
Parentalia in honour of family ancestors, the Caristia or Cara
Cognatio celebrated love of family, the Lemuria exorcised
malevolent and fearful ghosts, the Meditrinalia in honour of the
new wine vintage, the Vinalia prima which blessed and sampled the
wine of the previous year and asked for good weather until the next
harvest, and the Vinalia rustica was held before the harvest and
grape-pressing.