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 shortage of the sun, so celebrants simply appreciate the additional long stretches of light, however by the winter solstice in late December, the days are a lot shorter as the sun sets prior. Winter solstice festivities frequently 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 regular for winter solstice festivities to incorporate flame lighting, campfire creation, and tanked intemperance. Poseidon and the Winter Solstice In Greek folklore, the ocean god Poseidon is one of the most scurrilous of the divine beings, delivering a greater number of youngsters than numerous different divine beings. Greek schedules changed 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 compares 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 custom regarding this occasion: Women are furnished with wine and food, remembering cakes for the states of sexual organs. They pull back to themselves and trade obscene talk, and are prodded with recommendations of wantonness murmured in their ears by the priestesses. [p.5] The ladies are thought to have remained detached 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 campfires. Poseidonia of Aegina The Poseidonia of Aegina may have occurred around the same time. There were 16 days of devouring with rituals of Aphrodite finishing up the celebration. Like the Roman celebration of Saturnalia, the Poseidonia turned out to be so well known it was broadened so that Athenaeus makes it 2 months in length: In whole, the celebrants dining experience to satiety, at that point go to indecent prodding. What is the custom motivation behind such direct? It clearly suits Poseidons legendary notoriety as the most prurient 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.