For questions regarding myths surrounding particular dates in the calendar.
For questions regarding myths surrounding particular dates in the calendar.
The calendar in question need not be that in current use.
Questions tagged [calendar-dates]
17 questions
9
votes
1 answer
Does Greek mythology list a calendar date for creation?
I'm reading "Apollodorus : The Library of Greek Mythology" and I've noticed that it simply starts with "Ouranos was the first ruler of the universe."
There is no mention of dates that would allow for a chronological representation of when they…
randomblink
- 383
- 2
- 9
9
votes
2 answers
When Was the Goddess Pomona's Festival?
I'm doing some investigation into the mythology behind Halloween, and am running into contradictory claims about the date of the festival for Pomona, the Roman Goddess of orchard fruits (apples, cherries, etc.), and I'm wondering whether anyone here…
Arthur George
- 2,237
- 16
- 26
8
votes
1 answer
What pagan or folk customs and beliefs relate to Pentecost (Whitsun)?
Whitsun, also called Whit Sunday and Pentecost, is the Sunday 49 days after the Christian festival of Easter and in the Gregorian calendar it falls on a date between 10 May and 13 June. What pagan or folk customs or beliefs have accreted to the…
user1618
7
votes
2 answers
What are the origins of April Fools' Day?
On April Fools' Day, 1 April, it's the custom in several cultures to play practical jokes and to spread hoax stories.
Where and when did this custom originate?
user1618
7
votes
3 answers
Do Mithras, Osiris, Adonis, and Dionysus share a December 25 birthday?
In The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown claims that Mithras, Osiris, Adonis, and Dionysus were born on December 25:
Teabing groaned. 'Don’t get a symbologist started on Christian icons. Nothing in Christianity is original. The pre-Christian God Mithras –…
yannis
- 17,215
- 8
- 77
- 209
6
votes
1 answer
Ηοw is the pomegranate connected with New Year's celebrations?
I flew to Crete on New Year's Eve, and the flight crew offered all of us a pomegranate and instructed us to break it open at midnight.
What's the story there? How is the pomegranate connected with celebrating the New Year?
yannis
- 17,215
- 8
- 77
- 209
4
votes
1 answer
Where does the folk tradition of the Easter Bunny come from?
Easter eggs connect with Mary Magdalene, and chocolate ones were first marketed by the J S Fry chocolate company, but what is the origin of the Easter Bunny, the rabbit or hare that is now a popular feature at Eastertime?
user1618
4
votes
1 answer
Why do we dress up to celebrate Halloween?
Why do people wear elaborate masks and costumes to celebrate Halloween?
Did people dress up during the pagan festivals that inspired Halloween, or is the practice a modern addition?
Girsan Virlee
- 2,988
- 4
- 23
- 55
3
votes
1 answer
The Phoenician Months MTN and P'LT
I'm doing some research into the names of the months in the Phoenician calendar. I have a theory that all but three of the names have ties to the Phoenician pagan practices, but don't have evidence yet for all nine remaining months.
The months…
Harel13
- 1,048
- 7
- 32
3
votes
2 answers
How were the days of the week named?
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. How did these get their names? Was it from one religion, or did multiple religions adopt and change them?
I know that the Norse named some of these dates after their Gods, but which…
user6252
3
votes
1 answer
How did ancient cultures like Ancient Egypt justify having "non-month" days to adjust for their inaccurate calendar day count?
From asking How did the ancient cultures determine that the year was actually a fraction of an extra day beyond 365 days? I'm now wondering how cultures like Ancient Egypt, with their 12-month, 30 days per month solar calendar year (360 days), plus…
Lance Pollard
- 455
- 2
- 11
3
votes
0 answers
Date (time of year) of the Iliad?
Does Homer give any clue as to the time of year, or even the specific dates, when events in the Iliad occur? I don't mean the absolute chronology (e.g., 1184 BCE or whatever) or span of time (e.g., +9 days for the plague), but rather the time within…
Jason Kirk
- 31
- 1
2
votes
0 answers
Spirals as calendrical representations (from HSM)
A recent work proposed that the double spiral motif found at Newgrange (ca. 3200 BC) is a calendrical representation. Looking south the northern peoples observed that the arc traced by the sun widens steadily from winter solstice to midsummer. A…
sand1
- 836
- 5
- 10
2
votes
1 answer
Are There Pagan Roots of Christmas Traditions?
Why do we celebrate Christmas as we do today? What do the Christmas symbols mean: Santa, an evergreen tree, adornments, bells, mistletoe, reindeer, elves, socks filled with gourmet... where do they all come from? Are they pagan in origin?
Lady F
- 743
- 6
- 13
1
vote
0 answers
Does the Maypole visit humans on May the First?
May the first has a lot of nature deity traditions like The Green Man. Then there is the Maypole. So my question is: does the Maypole visit humans on the first of May?
The Maypole may be a pole in any form, an actual ceremonial pole or something…
Snack_Food_Termite
- 149
- 6