Ancient Greek Festivals

Ancient Greek Festivals

            In Ancient Greece celebrations and festivals were a major part of everyday life.  The Greeks used a twelve-month lunar calendar, so their dates do not match up evenly to ours.  Each Greek month began when there was a new moon in the sky and ended when there was no moon.  During each celebration the people participated in many different events and activities.  A large number of the festivals and celebrations were in honor of a certain god or goddess.  In some of the festivals the Greeks would sacrifice animals or people to the god they were honoring.  Music and dance were a big part of these festivals, providing entertainment for everyone to enjoy.  The Greek people would anticipate these festivals, the same way we anticipate our holidays.  A festival was a chance for a Greek man or woman to get away from their everyday life and have fun.  Over 50 different celebrations are known about today, and many of them still celebrated in Greece.  The festivals and celebrations of Ancient Greece were more than just fun filled events, they had a lot of meaning to the people, they shaped the lives of the Greeks, and were religiously important.

            During normal festivals there might be dancing, singing, athletic competitions, sacrifices, or plays.  The Greeks loved to take part in these events, dancing through the streets and singing different songs.  Some celebrations were primarily for entertainment, allowing anyone, sometimes even slave, to participate.  As processions marched from place to place, participants would sing honorary songs in order to please the gods.  There were also religious dances that would honor specific deities, and that would be performed at different festivals.  Plays were originally only put on at The Greater Dionysia festival, where they would portray religious stories or events.  Men dominated the Greater Dionysia festival, so the first Greek plays were put on by men and for all male audiences.  Eventually the Greeks started using plays as a means for entertainment, rather than just for religious celebration. Athletic competitions were not held during every celebration, but at certain festivals they were very important.  The Olympic Games are a primary example of a festival based on athletic competitions.