January 15
On this day in ancient Rome, the Romans celebrated the Feast of the Ass. This celebration is in honor of Vesta, the Roman version of Hestia, and the animal that saved her. Actually, Vesta was honored in Rome long before she was recognized as Hestia in Greece. However, many people are more familiar with Hestia. You may honor Vesta as you would Hestia. To celebrate the Feast of the Ass, Vesta’s temple was lit with a sacred fire that was tended by the Vestal Virgins.
My suggestion for this day would be to give the stove and oven a good scrubbing. This is the modern hearth and center of kitchen activity. Light candles and burn a pinch of rosemary for purification. If you have a gas range, use those flames to burn the rosemary as an offering. Make any meal that is most comforting to you and your family.
Oh, and if you're wondering how an ass saved her life, it seems that the loud braying of the animal kept Priapus away. We all know a little something about Priapus, even if it's only the condition named for him - priapism. Ouch.
2 comments:
And of course, Vesta was a Virgin Goddess. Since I'm sure Priapus had his own ideas about that, the Braying Ass saved the Goddess's maiden status!
This is great! And I have to admit, the name of the feast had me giggling a bit.
And as soon as I saw Priapus's name, I KNEW it had to be related to the medical condition. LOL
Thanks for sharing. This was enlightening. :)
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