Greek Winter Solstice Celebrations in Honor of Poseidon

Greek Winter Solstice Celebrations in Honor of Poseidon Solstice (from the Latin sol sun) festivities respect the sun. At the late spring solstice in late June, there is no deficiency of the sun, so celebrants simply appreciate the additional long periods of sunlight, however by the winter solstice in late December, the days are a lot shorter as the sun sets prior. Winter solstice festivities regularly incorporate two exercises identified with the bombing sun: delivering light and getting a charge out of the spread the dimness gives. In this manner, it is basic for winter solstice festivities to incorporate flame lighting, blaze creation, and tipsy depravity. Poseidon and the Winter Solstice In Greek folklore, the ocean god Poseidon is one of the most lewd of the divine beings, delivering a bigger number of youngsters than numerous different divine beings. Greek schedules differed from polis to polis, however in some Greek schedules, a month around the hour of the winter solstice is named for Poseidon. In Athens and different pieces of antiquated Greece, there is a month that generally relates with December/January that is named Poseideon for the ocean god Poseidon. In spite of the way that the Greeks were the most drastically averse to cruise during these months, they held a festival in Athens called Posidea to observe Poseidon. Haloea and Womens Rites At Eleusis there was a celebration called Haloea on the 26th of the month Poseideon. The Haloea-a celebration for Demeter and Dionysus-incorporated a parade for Poseidon. The Haloea is thought to possess been an energy for cheer. There is notice of a womens ceremony regarding this occasion: Women are given wine and food, remembering cakes for the states of sexual organs. They pull back to themselves and trade vulgar talk, and are prodded with recommendations of wantonness murmured in their ears by the priestesses. [p.5] The ladies are thought to have remained confined for the duration of the night and afterward to have joined the men the following day. While the ladies were off eating, drinking, and sounding a lot of like the ladies of Lysistrata, the men are thought to have made a major fire or a lot of little blazes. Poseidonia of Aegina The Poseidonia of Aegina may have occurred around the same time. There were 16 days of devouring with customs of Aphrodite finishing up the celebration. Like the Roman celebration of Saturnalia, the Poseidonia turned out to be so mainstream it was expanded so that Athenaeus makes it 2 months in length: In total, the celebrants dining experience to satiety, at that point go to lecherous prodding. What is the custom motivation behind such lead? It clearly suits Poseidons legendary notoriety as the most salacious of divine beings, who far outperforms Apollo and Zeus in the quantity of his contacts and his posterity. Poseidon the enticer is divine force of springs and rivers[...] Source Poseidons Festival at the Winter Solstice, by Noel Robertson, The Classical Quarterly, New Series, Vol. 34, No. 1 (1984), 1-16.