Cerealia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cerealia | |
|---|---|
| Observed by | Ancient Romans |
| Type | Pagan, Historical |
| Date | April 12 |
| Celebrations | Games of Ceres |
Cerealia was a 7-day holiday celebrated in ancient Rome in honor of the goddess Ceres. The exact dates of the April festival are uncertain: it may have started on April 12 and ended on April 19 (Or it may have started on the Ides of April, i.e. April 13, or even on April 7.)
In Rome, this was the primary festival of Ceres and was accompanied by the Ludi Ceriales or "Games of Ceres" in the Circus Maximus. Ovid's description (Fasti iv.494) mentions that Ceres/Demeter's search for her lost daughter Proserpina was represented by women clothed in white, running about with lighted torches.
