Sementivae, also known as Feriae Sementivae (also called Paganalia), was a Roman sowing festival.
Sementivae, for a good harvest
It was celebrated in honor of Ceres (the goddess of agriculture) and Tellus (Mother Earth). The initial half of the event was a festival in honor of Tellus that took place from January 24 to 26. The festival in honor of Ceres took place a week later, starting on February 2. The wombs of Sementina were kept in Rome for the purpose of praying for a good harvest; it lasted only one day, which was fixed by the pontiffs.
At the same time, in the countryside, the perhaps also called Paganalias or Paganalia were celebrated, because they were celebrated by the pagi, who offered sacrificial cakes made from wheat and the sacrifice of a pregnant sow during the festivals.
The festivals can be considered as a lustration, in the sense of purification and protection of seeds and planting. It is likely that at first they were celebrated in two moments, separated by a week, and that over time they were established in three consecutive days, on January 24, 25 and 26.
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On this day, the Romans celebrated the Sementivae in honor of Ceres and Tellus. Three days of celebrations allowed people to pray for good harvests in the coming year. #mythology #myth #legend #24January #sementivae #rome #ceres #tellus
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