Eleusinia

by Melissa

(15-18 Metageitnion) The Eleusinia was a thanksgiving festival held to honor Demeter for the gift of grain but was not held every year. When it took place, it was either as a major festival called the Great Eleusinia held during the fourth year of the Olympeiad or as a minor festival held during the second year. It consisted of a procession, games and sacrifices. The prizes for the winners of the games was a large quantity of grain. Likely this festival was held in Attica and not at the site of the Eleusinian Mysteries, in spite of the similarity of names.

Today, we can hold a day of thanksgiving for the gift of grain.

Sources:
Adkins, Lesley, and Roy A. Adkins, Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece. 1997.
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Eleusinia”, Encyclopaedia Britannica, publish June 4, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eleusinia. Accessed December 5, 2017