APOLLONIAN FEAST DAYS

The feast day calendar that was used by the ancient Hellenic Pagans was based on the cycles of the moon.  Attempts to match the feast days of this ancient calendar to the days they would be known as today in our solar calendar has proved a difficult task, and the accuracy of the results is not always guaranteed.  Moreover, the days of the month that were meaningful to the ancient Greeks would not readily translate to anything that would be visibly meaningful to us today.  Specifically, the 7th day of the month is a special day for Apollo, but since the 7th day of the month for the ancients might not translate as the 7th day of the month as we recognize it, the significance of it might be lost in the translation.


It seems that a bit of flexibility and simplicity would be reasonable here, and that celebrating Apollo's feast days on the 7th of the month of the calendar we use today, or on the first weekend of the month, should not be a problem. If you are a purist reconstructionist though, and would prefer to time the feast days so that they are as close as possible to the dates on the ancient calendar, here's a website that might help you do the conversion.  Take a look at this one.

The spirit of the festivals is what is most important for many Hellenic Pagans to focus on, more than the exact timing or the specifics of the celebration.  However, the seasons of the celebrations, and the meaning of the rituals that were associated with them, can still be observed.
The feast days for Apollo, which are sometimes shared with other deities in the pantheon, are as follows:

February - Feast of Phoebus
This feast appears in the feastday calendars of general pagan handbooks, but has not often been found in Hellenic feastday calendars.  It occurs a week after Imbolc, and honors Apollo in his aspect as Sun God.


April - Delphinia
Apollo's return to Delphi after his "winter break" in Hyperborea is the theme of this celebration.  On this day, the Delphic Oracle was again "open for business", and worshippers would ask Apollo for protection while travelling, especially by sea.  There's more on this one on the rituals page.


May - Thargelia
The spring festival of Thargelia, which Apollo shares with his sister Artemis, is a birthday party for the twin deities and is a major festival.  The ancients celebrated it over the course of two days, with a two-part theme:  first, cleansing, and then the beginning of the season of growth when Apollo and Artemis are given thanks for supporting the earth and its inhabitants.

July - Hekatombaia
This feast is for Apollo and his father Zeus.  

August - Metageitnia
Apollo is honored as the Prince of Peace at Metageitnia.  Not much is known about the ways in which the ancient people celebrated this obscure holiday, but it is a significant one for people today.  Visit the rituals page to find out more.

September - Boedromia
In times of danger, such as war, civil unrest, or natural disaster, Apollo's protection is very much appreciated.  This is the feast where Apollo's role as protector is celebrated and honored.

October - Pyanepsia
Apollo and Artemis are honored with the fruits of the harvest at this feast, which is the Apollonian thanksgiving festival.

December - Minor Asklepieia
Apollo, Asklepion, and Hygeia are honored at this festival, for their work as healers.



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