Sementivae, also known as Feriae Sementivae or Sementina dies (in the country called Paganalia), was a Roman festival of sowing. It was a type of ''

feriae conceptivae Festivals in ancient Rome were a very important part in Roman religious life during both the Republican and Imperial eras, and one of the primary features of the Roman calendar. ''Feriae'' ("holidays" in the sense of "holy days"; singula ...

'' r ''conceptae'' These free days were held every year, but not on certain or fixed days, the time being every year appointed by the magistrates or priests (''quotannis a magistratibus vel sacerdotibus concipiuntur''). It was held in honor of Ceres (the goddess of agriculture) and

Tellus Tellus is a Latin word meaning "Earth" and may refer to: * An alternative name for the planet Earth * Tellus of Athens, a citizen of ancient Athens who was thought to be the happiest of men * Tellus Mater or Terra Mater, the ancient Roman earth mo ...

(Mother Earth). The initial half of the event was a festival in honor of

which ran from January 24 through January 26. The festival honoring Ceres occurred one week later, starting February 2. The ''Sementina dies'' were kept in seed-time at Rome for the purpose of praying for a good crop; it lasted only for one day, which was fixed by the pontiffs. At the same time the Paganalia were observed in the country.Merkel,

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...

, ''On the Roman Calendar,'' p. clv.

Notes

References

* ''This entry incorporates public domain text originally from'' (eds. William Smith, LLD, William Wayte, G. E. Marindin), ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities'', Albemarle Street, London. John Murray. 1890. Ancient Roman festivals January observances February observances Festivals of Demeter Ceres (mythology) {{reli-festival-stub