Research On The Religious Festivals Of Ancient Greek

The ancient Greek religion is a kind of practical religion which has no doctrine,holy books and special clergy. But it does not mean that the religious affairs werecarried out in a haphazard way. Instead, the strong supporting points are the devoutfaith originated from antiquity and repeated festivals. Religion exists in every aspectof ancient Greece, including politics, economy, laws and military affairs. So toresearch the festivals in Greece is beneficial to Greek religion and the nature ofGreek civilization.Festival is a day of traditional sacrifices and celebration. Customs and habitswere different from nation to nation. So the definitions and the ways to celebrate thefestivals are also different. In Greece, the festivals are arranged on the basis ofcalendar and were held at a fixed time. Greece is a typically polytheistic nation. Thepeople made sacrifice to not only many gods but also hero, ghost and numerouselves. Gods of Olympus plays a predominant role and are worshipped by all theGreeks. Such a huge and complicate spirit system results in the significant quantitiesand complications of the festivals.The Greek festivals originate from ritual act. It is in the sacred time that thepeople imitate the creative act of god. Different festivals have different origins. Withthe passage of time and the change of historical environment, on the one hand,festivals maintain the old tradition, on the other hand, they presents a new look. TheFestivals are in a changing state when formed, such as the names, times and sites,processes, organization models and so on. In the process of the festival, people dressin festal clothes and hold a parade towards the temple.When they arrive, they start aseries of games which include athletic contest, music and dance contests around thetemple and alter.The drama contests are held only in Dionysia festivals. ThePanhellenic festivals have a large scale influence and attract every polis.The festivals have significant functions. Initially, they are only a kind ofreligions activity. Gradually, they become the foundation of Greek culture andpolitics. When Greece stages into the period of state, they have been joined togetherwith the politics and laws of state.whether or not one does his duty is the standard tojudge if one respect the order and law of the state and society. The festivals also play a part in educating the next younger generation and enhancing the national unity andenhancing the cohesion between the citizens.