The
Roman festival
Festivals in ancient Rome were a very important part of Roman religious life during both the Republican and Imperial eras, and one of the primary features of the Roman calendar. ''Feriae'' ("holidays" in the sense of "holy days"; singular ...
of Larentalia was held on 23 December but was ordered to be observed twice a year by
Augustus
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...
; by some supposed to be in honour of the
Lares
Lares ( , ; archaic , singular ) were Tutelary deity#Ancient Rome, guardian deities in ancient Roman religion. Their origin is uncertain; they may have been hero-ancestors, guardians of the hearth, fields, boundaries, or fruitfulness, or an ama ...
, a kind of domestic ''genii'', or divinities, worshipped in houses, and esteemed the guardians and protectors of families, supposed to reside in chimney-corners.
Others have attributed this feast in honour of
Acca Larentia, the nurse of
Romulus
Romulus (, ) was the legendary founder and first king of Rome. Various traditions attribute the establishment of many of Rome's oldest legal, political, religious, and social institutions to Romulus and his contemporaries. Although many of th ...
and
Remus, and wife of
Faustulus.
During this festival, offerings were made to the dead, usually at altars dedicated to Acca Larentia.
A sacrifice was typically offered in the
Velabrum, the spot where Acca Larentia is buried. Larentalia was part of a series of ancient Roman festivals and holidays celebrating the end of the old year and the start of the new.
References
Ancient Roman festivals
December observances
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