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Festival of Liberalia
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Festival of Liberalia
Concept
the festival takes place on march 17, and celebrates Liber Pater. the festival serves as a maturation ceremony for Roman boys transitioning into manhood. the Roman people celebrate with parades, sacrifices, songs, and masks hung in trees. during the ceremony the boys, and later girls, removed their bulla, and toga praetexta to symbolize their transition to man, and womanhood.
Procession
Bulla cont.
many mothers later went back and took the bulla. they did this in case their child ever became publicly acknowledged, or found themselves in a position of envy. if this were the case the mother would wear the bulla in hopes it would deter any ill will, or bad luck from the envy of surrounding citizens.
after the feast those attending would march through the country side with a large phallus in hopes it would bring strong fertility, and health to the crops of the region. the carrying of the phallus was also meant to ward off bad luck or evil spirits that could fall upon the crop. at the end of the procession a powerful, and well respected female would place a wreath over the phallus.
Bulla Praetexta
at the ceremony the young men would remove their bulla praetexta, a pendant worn to ward off evil spirits and bad luck, and leave it behind on the altar with a lock of their hair, or even newly shaved stubble showing that they no longer needed the protection it provided. they dedicated their hair, and bulla to the gods in an attempt to please them.
Toga Praetexta
Feast
Ceremony, and Sacrifices
Transition
Progression
the toga praetexta was worn by children under the age of 14 or so. this was similar to the plain white toga of adulthood, but had a thick purple or crimson stripe all along the border. in the Roman society you would often be buried in this.
at the Liberalia festival the childhood toga was removed and exchanged for the plain white toga which adult Roman citizens wore. this toga was not only a symbol that you were no longer a child, it also gave you the right to vote. although the toga praetexta was mainly worn by children, it was also a garment worn by priests, judges, and others who held a high position in roman society.
the festival and feast were in honor of Liber Pater, an ancient god of fertility and wine. the feast consisted of sacrifices, which were not human or animal, but instead cakes made of honey, and oil prepared by Liber's preistesses wearing ivy wreaths, called Libia. these cakes were then offered to the gods by those participating in the maturation ceremony.
eventually this ceremony evolved and was changed from a festival just for the maturation of young men, to a festival which both sexes would go through. the men sacrificed their libia to Liber Pater, and the females to the goddess Libera.