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Article: The Panathenaia Athena's Festival.(festivals and holidays in ancient Greece)
- Article from:
- Appleseeds
- Article date:
- December 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Everybody loves a holiday, and so did the ancient Athenians. Throughout the year, they celebrated many religious festivals. The most important one was held every fourth summer to honor the goddess Athena. It was called the Great Panathenaia, meaning "all the Athenians." Visitors came from all over Greece to take part in it.
For days, there were religious ceremonies, musical and athletic contests, dancing, horse races, and public feasting. The celebration began with an all-night festival on the Acropolis. There, young men and women danced under the stars in honor of the goddess.
The festival's main event was a grand procession, which started at daybreak. ...