The Greek Festivals through the Year

July – Hekatombaion (The first month of their year)

• 12 – Kronia
• 16 – Synoikia
• 28 – Panathenea

August – Metageitnion

• 15,16,17,18 – Eleusina

September – Boedromion

• 5 – Genesia
• 12 – Democratia
• 17 or 18 – Epidauria

October – Pyanopsion

• 6 – Proerosia
• 7 – Pyanopsia
• 8 – Theseia
• 8 – Oschophoria
• 9 – Stenia
• 11,12,13 – Thesmophoria
• 19,20,21 or 26,27,28 – Apaturia(Ἀπατούρια)
• 30 – Apaturia

November – Maimakterion

• ? – Pompaia
• Poseideon (Ποσῐδηϊών)
• 8 – Posidea (Ποσῐδεῖα)
• 26 – Haloa

December – Poseideon (Ποσῐδηϊών)

• None

January – Gamelion

• 12,13,14,15 – Lenea
• 27 – Theogamia

February – Anthesterion

• 11,12,13 – Anthesteria
• 23 – Diasia
• Elaphebolion
• 10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17 – Great Dionysia
• 17 – Pandia

March – Elaphebolion

• None

April – Mounichion

• 16 – Munichia
• 19 – Olympeia

May – Thargelion

• 7 – Thargelia
• 19 – Bendideia
• 24 – Callynteria
• 25 – Plynteria

June – Skirophorion

• 3 – Arrephoria
• 12 – Scira
• 14 – Bouphonia

Unlisted Festivals

Anthesteria | The name Anthesteria means “festival of flowers”, and it was celebrated by drinking the season’s new wine (giving it an an obvious connection to Dionysos).

Aphrodisia | As the name of this festival suggests, it was dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite.

Brauronia | The Brauronia festival was dedicated to the cult of the goddess Artemis.

Dionysia | Festivals held in honor of the god Dionysos; the ancient Greeks had both Rural Dionysia and City Dionysia.

Eleusinian Mysteries | The Eleusinian Mysteries are understood to be sacred events that were connected to the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone (also known as Kore).

Olympieia | Celebrated in the Spring, this festival in honor of Zeus combined religious festivities with athletic events.

Panathenaia | Held in honor of the goddess Athena’s birthday, the Panathenaia festival was one of the most important in ancient Athens.

Theogamia | This event was held to celebrate of the “hieros gamos”, or sacred wedding, of Zeus and Hera.

Thesmophoria | The Thesmophoria was a fertility festival associated with Demeter, in which the participants were exclusively women.

Festivals by Deity

Apollo

• Stepterion — festival of the wreaths held every eight years at Delphi.

Athena

• Arre(h)ephoria
• Panathenaea

Dionysus

• Aiora — a festival of Dionysos in Attica involving images hung from a tree.
• Agrionia — Gender hostility
• Anthesteria — Held in Athens in the Spring. New wine was broached and followed by a drinking contest. Women were excluded. The second day was the Feast of Cups, the third the Feast of Pans. Vases, filled with grain of all kinds, were borne in procession and dedicated to Hermes.
• Iobakcheia
• Greater Dionysia
• Lenaea(ληναῖος — belonging to the wine-press) — a festival of Comedy in January (Gamelion)
• Oschophoria — Ritual carrying of vine branches hung with bunches of grapes
• Rural Dionysia
• Theoinia — Athens

Poseidon

• Posidea (Ποσῐδεῖα)– 8 Poseideon — A winter agricultural festival in Athens. The priest of Poseidon and the priestess of Athena marched to Sciron, west of Athens, the site of a sacred ploughing.
• Isthemian Games — held biennially in April or May. Celebrated with a wreath of pine and later of dry cellery.

Zeus

• Bouphonia
• Lycaea — An Arcadian festival
• Olympic Games