26 January: Demeter

Haloea, an exclusively women’s festival, sacred to Demeter, according to some sources, took place around now. Here are 10 facts about Haloea and Demeter:

1. Although festivals sacred to Demeter would have taken place in summer, the festivals eventually became sacred to Dionysus, god of wine, as well, which meant it shifted to December or January when he was celebrated. It also meant Wine became an important part of the festivities.

2. It seems Haloea was a time for women to get together and have a good time. Much wine was consumed along with phallic shaped food. Phallic shaped figurines would be buried in the ground to promote crop fertility and there was a fair amount of naughtiness: dancing, singing rude songs and Lesbian sex.

3. Demeter is the Greek goddess of the harvest, grains and the fertility of the earth. She was also goddess of sacred law, the cycle of life and death, health, birth, and marriage.

4. Her Roman equivalent is Ceres.

5. Demeter was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and sister to Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus.

6. Her lovers included Iasion, Oceanus, Karmanor, Triptolemus, and Zeus. Yes. Her brother. He was the father of Persephone. Demeter’s other children were Despoina, Arion, Plutus, Philomelus, Eubuleus, Chrysothemis and Amphitheus I.

7. The myth she’s best known for is when her brother Hades abducted Persephone and carried her off to the underworld. Demeter searched for her and was overcome with grief, so things stopped growing. Zeus intervened and sent Hermes to the underworld to get Persephone back so that things would grow again. Hades let her go, but gave her a Pomegranate as she left. Once she ate the seeds, it meant she was bound to the underworld for part of the year.

8. Demeter is said to have taught humankind how to grow corn.

9. Demeter turned the Sirens into half-bird monsters for not helping her daughter Persephone when she was abducted by Hades.

10. Demeter is usually depicted wearing a wreath made of ears of corn. Her symbols are Cornucopia, Wheat,  torch, Poppies and Bread; animals sacred to her are Pigs, serpents, geckos, turtledoves, cranes and screech Owls.