This is a selection from our shared festival calendar. Some are ancient and some are part of our new tradition. Some are set on the lunar calendar, and others on the modern, solar-based calendar. For the former, modern dates are also given - these will change slightly each year.

2011 January 11: Foundation of the House of Learning. On the anniversary of the Eugene Public Library, leave flowers for Eugene Skinner statue out front, explore and enjoy the library thoroughly. January 16 (Gamelion 12): Lenaia - Reawakens the vegetation, and Dionysos, after the previous months of winter. Presentation of liknon with phallus, procession to ritual spot on hill, singing, hymns, dancing. January 29: Bast Festival. Honoring the Egyptian goddess of cats, we thank Her for past feline companions, share prayers from the community, and sing and dance for Her. February 9 (Anthesterion 7): Manteia – Begin high-seat oracular sessions again, welcoming of Apollon back to Delphi. Flowers, lavish breakfast theoxenia with muscat wine. Honor all the gods and daimones of Delphi. February 13-15 (Anthesterion 11-13): Anthesteria – Festival of Flowers. First day is Pithoigia, "Opening of the Jars". To open festival, walk around town making libations of local wine, collecting flowers as offering. Shared feast in the evening. Large bouquet of flowers as offering. Second day is Khoes, “Cups”. Swinging like Erigone. Go to a liminal place and drink silently in honor of Orestes. Basilinna is wedded to Dionysos at night. Third day, Khutroi, “Pots”. Go to cemetery, kolyva (panspermia) offering for Hermes Pyschopompos and the dead. February 18 (Anthesterion full moon): Limnad Numphaia – At a liminal time of year, ritual in the wetlands, create and tend shrine, spend time in their presence. February 25 (Anthesterion 23): Diasia - The festival of Zeus Meilikhios, the chthonic Zeus who appears as a snake. Offerings made of cakes shaped like animals, grains, and other fertility foods. The whole offering is burnt to propitiate him. Purification after Anthesteria. Renew contents of Ktesios jar. March 19 (Elaphebolion full moon): Naiad Numphaia – Garlanded procession to leave offerings at various streams, create and tend shrine. Spend time in their presence. Decorate tree with ribbons representing prayers. Floating candles as offerings. April 1: Raccoon Festival. Honoring raccoons as companions of Hermes and holy creatures of our city. Games of chance, silly songs, raccoon masks, ramble through the city leaving food for the animals. April 2: Opening of the Market. First farmers/craft market of the season - buy produce and make local, seasonal meal, listen for marketplace oracle. April 16: Rain's End Festival. Thanking the Rainmakers for their bounty - songs and dances with drums and bells, libations and first fruits offerings. April 17 (Mounikhion full moon): Dryad Numphaia –Ritual in the woods on Skinner Butte, create and tend shrine, spend time in their presence. Also make elaphoi for Artemis. May 1: May Day. Masked mumming, dancing around the maypole, May wine with woodruff. May 9 (Thargelion 7): Thargelia – Purification by means of pharmakoi. Write on them the things to be rid of, bring them to the periphery and burn them. Offering of the thargelos porridge with bay leaves. June 21: Festival of the Willamette (summer solstice) – thanking the Willamette River for all of its blessings. Libations, feast, songs and dances, games involving water, full immersion in the river. Drowning of sacrificial doll. August 27: Antroneia - Honoring cave-dwelling Dionysos with a trip to the Lava Lands area near Bend. September 12 (Boedromion full moon): Oread Numphaia: Go to the mountains, create and tend shrine, spend time in their presence. Also offerings for Pan – retsina, pine boughs, goat meat and cheese. September 24: Thalusia – Thank Demeter for harvest, especially grain harvest. Bake loaf of beer bread, make meal from farmer’s market produce, offer local beer. Make devotional crafts with collected natural materials of autumn. October 1 (Puanepsion 4): Hermaia Propulaia – “Before the gate” - a time of boundaries between life and death as we go into autumn. A day of introspection when one searches out their soul and life for things that have become stagnant and outgrown. On journey to boundary (cemetery), collect stones, then set up herm there, along with items embodying those things we want to leave behind as well as offerings for Hermes and the spirits. October 4 (Puanepsion 7): Puanepsia – Eiresione made of laurel, decorated with ribbons, bells, etc. Offering of the puanepsion stew.  Last oracles of the season. October 6 (Puanepsion 9): Skenia. Sacred royal banquet for Dionysos-Haides and Persephatta outside under the skias at dusk. Candlelit feast with capon, wine, grapes, pomegranates, and images of the gods. October 31: Hallows – Daytime walk to cemetery, share food with dead. At night, feast for the gods of the Underworld. Offerings of alcohol and old coins.   November 4 (Maimakterion 9): Lampteria - Feast of Torches. The beginning of Dionysos’ three month reign at Delphi. Theodaisia for Dionysos and the Korykian Nymphs. Bullroarer calls the god on top of Skinner Butte. Light candles and set up bowls of wine throughout the city. November 28 (Poseideon 4): Hermaia Eriounia – Festival of Hermes as Luck-bringer, games, role-reversal, gambling. Sacrifices for good luck for the coming year. Marketplace oracle. December 6 (St. Nicholas Day): Dionysos of the Depths. Worship ocean-dwelling Dionysos at the coast. December 21: Yule. Mostly Germanic customs, honoring Odin. Followed by Wild Hunt mumming on the 24th. December 31: Turbe.  Wearing traditional geros costume, mumming procession to bring blessings to the land.

skias surrounding new Dionysos statue Skenia festival, October 2006       permanent outdoor shrine for the tree nymphs, Dryad Nymphaia, May 2007       table set for a theoxenia feast on the Theodaisia festival, October 2006       temporary shrine for the Anthesteria festival, February 2007