Parentalia

"And the grave must be honored./ Appease your fathers’/ Spirits, and bring little gifts to the tombs you built.../But once, waging a long war with fierce weapons,/ They neglected the Parentalia, Festival of the Dead./ It did not go unpunished: they say from that ominous day/ Rome grew hot from funeral fires near the City./ I scarcely believe it, but they say that ancestral spirits/ Came moaning from their tombs in the still of night,/ And misshapen spirits, a bodiless throng, howled/ Through the City streets, and through the broad fields./ Afterwards neglected honor was paid to the tombs,/ And there was an end to the portents, and the funerals."

In other words, omission of the Parentalia ceremony during a long war angered the spirits who moaned throughout the streets and fields during the night.

Parentalia

Ovid writes:

From Fasti Book II

Private Rites

• First eight days
• Began with a family gathering at the tombs of the loved ones
• Private simple sacrifices of grain and wine in honor of the dead
• Decorated graves with roses and violets
• Traditional greeting and farewell of the holiday: "Salve, sancte parens"
• Reflected on their loved ones and the importance of family

Roman Grave

ROMAN TOMB

Parentalia's Contribution to Christianity

• The Parentalia lasted nine days, so it is also called the "parentalia novendialia".
• Therefore, Christianity possibly derived the use of novenas from this festival.
• In fact, the early Christians had a nine-day mourning period after the death of a loved ones, and later they held a novena of Masses for the repose of the soul.
• To this day, a novendialia or Pope's Novena is observed after the Pope's death.

Origin

• Babylonian Festival
• The dead returned and joined celebrations with the family.

Parentalia

• February 13-21
• First of three festivals honoring the Manes, or the dead, especially parents
• During the festival, temple life, marriage ceremonies, and business came to a standstill.

Feralia

• Public rite
• Closing festival of the Parentalia
• Comes from ferre ("to carry")
• Brought offerings
• Picnics held at tombs of the deceased
• Ghosts supposedly walked on the earth above their grave.

Forerunner to Halloween

• Halloween is based off of the Feralia
• The offerings during the Feralia led to the tradition of trick-or-treating

Caristia

• February 22 (after the Parentalia)
• Family reunion
• Resolved issues among the family
• Sacred and joyful meal
• Offerings to the Lares
• Toast to the Emperor's health

Feralia

Vestal Virgins

Vestal Virgins

• Performed rites of their own at the Parentalia
• The senior Vestal paid a ceremonial visit to the tomb of the early Vestal, Tarpeia, whom the priestesses considered their parental figure

Abigail Morici

Gabrielle Nguyen