A jolly holiday at the Cove

04 Dec 2013 Comments Off on A jolly holiday at the Cove

by admin in Uncategorized

Artemis with a hind, better known as "Diana of Versailles". Marble, Roman artwork, Imperial Era (1st-2nd centuries CE). Found in Italy.

Artemis with a hind, better known as “Diana of Versailles”. Marble, Roman artwork, Imperial Era (1st-2nd centuries CE). Found in Italy.

It’s that time of year again: the holidays! And what says, “Thankful,” better than a quick post to tell you about another famous feast: The Kharisteria Festival! Usually held on the sixth of Boidromion (third month), this day celebrates a victory in the battle of Marathon in 490 BC. It’s also known as the Athenian Thanksgiving.

Generally, this feast includes competitions of Archery followed by a meal with lots of meat(!). It was also used as an opportunity to pay off a debt to the Theoi (the Olympian Gods) by slaughtering goats equal to the number of Persians killed in the battle. In an amusing twist of events, there weren’t enough goats to pay off the gods originally, so this feast was held annually, and 500 goats were slaughtered each time — a sort of ancient payment plan.

So put on your best red and yellow, decorate your altar with cloth (of those two colors), a bow and arrows, three torches, wreaths of twigs, cookies shaped like goats or deer, a flaming brazier, and a chalice of Greek wine. And enjoy the holidays with us! Eviva!

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Some graphic elements courtesy of ClipartETC and puuikibeach