Apellai
And there were initiation rites also:
Wikipedia Apellai
Apollo
Apellai, was a three-day family-festival of the Northwest Greeks similar with the Ionic Apaturia, which was dedicated to Apollo.
Telemachos is reaching maturity, but on which day will this happen? Without a calendar there are no birthdays and even now, birthdays are not celebrated in Greece. In modern Greece the celebration is held on Name Days. But Name Days depend on a calendar also. So there must be a fixed and easy to determine day at least once a year for everybody to age a year. And of course that is on Apollo's Day at winter solstice. The beginning of a personal new year for everyone.
How did the people like Odysseus keep count of the years without a calendar? That is very easy too. All that people had to do is remember the phase of the moon on their childs first Apollo Day. For Odysseus that is Telemachos' first Apollo Day.
In order to mark the moment of its first Apollo Day, a newborn must have been part of a kind of initiation rite on Apollo's Day. Let's google a bit to find out. This is written about the Classical period:
How did the people like Odysseus keep count of the years without a calendar? That is very easy too. All that people had to do is remember the phase of the moon on their childs first Apollo Day. For Odysseus that is Telemachos' first Apollo Day.
In order to mark the moment of its first Apollo Day, a newborn must have been part of a kind of initiation rite on Apollo's Day. Let's google a bit to find out. This is written about the Classical period:
There is evidence for this festival in Epidavros, Olous, Kalchedon, "Heracleia" at Siris, Tauromenion, Chaleion, Lamia, Oite, Tolophon, Delphi and also in Ancient Macedonia.
This is about Apollo's Day allright. We now know that the festival is spread over more days. The feast of Apollo is celebrated the evening before the day of Apollo, like we celebrate Christmas Eve the evening before Christmas. Apollo's Day (December 21th) would be Christmas Day and like our Christmas there is a third day following. Homer has not written about the third day, 'The Odyssey' ends abruptly on the second day.
So, Apollo's festival is a lot like Christmas.
And it is a family-day just like Christmas, celebrating the new light, the new year and the new generation. Allover the land and beyond:
So, Apollo's festival is a lot like Christmas.
And it is a family-day just like Christmas, celebrating the new light, the new year and the new generation. Allover the land and beyond:
The three-day family-festival included initiation ceremonies, not concerning the state
You see, there were initiation rites in Classical times. Let's see where those ceremonial initiation rites are about.