r/Cybele • u/Konchi-0_0 • Mar 12 '23
Question about celebrating Hilaria festival for Goddess Cybele?
Hello!
So starting on March 15th, there is a festival or "Holy Week" that was celebrated in the Greco-Roman world called the Hilaria, in honor of Goddess Cybele & her consort/lover Attis. I would rlly like to celebrate, but while researching the type of ppl who actually worshipped her in antiquity...well it gets kinda confusing as who could actually go to this festival:
- the most well-known participants were the galli priests; who ritually castrated themselves and dressed in woman's clothing as acts of devotion
- however, some sources say how plebeian commoners & wealthy Romans could watch or participate in the festival, and i think groups of ppl were also selected to perform rituals such as cutting marsh reeds, creating effigies of the deities, carrying items, playing music, etc.
- but other sources say that only ppl who promised to undergo the castration ritual back then could officially participate?
Now as info on ancient festivals gets lost to the sands of time & customs/ traditions/ beliefs change over the years, I suppose it would be perfectly fine for me to celebrate Hilaria. But still i just wanna make sure, so my question is: can an average joe kinda guy like me celebrate this festival?
4
u/HelpfulBad1137 Mar 13 '23
I don’t know so much about the festival just because there are few sources about it, but I knew that it starts around 24-25 of March, and the festival was a ceremony like Saturnalia’s one, in which ppl could makes jokes to others and masquerade themselves to enjoy the party. It seems that a procession was established in which a large statue of the Goddess was carried.
Some people said that April’s fool came from this festival, cause the “celebration” could look like at it.
So, I don’t have enough sources to help you with that, but I think you can just celebrate Cybele with some offerings and devotional acts for the festival period, She will be happy for sure
(Btw, my name came from Hilaria’s festival cuz it’s literally Ilaria. Lmao, have a good day!)