Over the years I’ve created a sacred calendar of Hekate’s holy days used in my personal or group practice. The calendar includes both ancient and modern festivals and days that are based on annual or monthly cycles. The season of one of her large festivals is upon us so I thought I might share because it’s one of a few I don’t see discussed in the modern community.

Hekate was celebrated with multiple festivals at her sanctuary in Lagina. One of these is the annual Genethlia festival which celebrates her birthday as a sacred day. As I celebrate it, this year it is coming up on 5 July at sunset and lasts to 6 July at sunset. The date changes every year because of the fluctuating nature of a lunar calendar.

We don’t know the exact date the festival was held but scholars have placed it at the last Triakas of the year. The Triakas is the celebration of Hekate on the 30^th of each lunar month. I have not been able to source which calendar Lagina used. It’s possible they used the Macedonian calendar because her small temple was rebuilt into the large sanctuary we know today by Seleucids who settled in the region. By its last centuries it may have been converted to the Roman calendar, at least officially.

Until my research leads me to specific dates I decided to celebrate on the last Triakas of the lunar calendar I use which is the Attic calendar. It’s the most common among pagans today and easily found online. This places the festival on the last day of the month of Skirophorion. I agree that scholars have been right to surmise her main festival would be on the final Triakas of the year because I find Hekate is usually seen at either the time of the transition (such as between the old month and the new) or in position one (going first before all others to lead the way). If her birth festival is celebrated on the 30^th of the old year she guides us into the new year in typical style.

We don’t have a large amount of detail about the festival itself. Scholars suggest the usual monthly Triakas celebrations were given but on a much larger scale. We know it had feasting, music and offerings for the Goddess. From inscriptions we also know her priests gave gifts of money and olive oil to participants on behalf of Hekate. Hekate’s priests were typically chosen from among the region’s wealthy and they funded the sanctuary activities, so at this time they would be giving a yearly gift of much needed resources to those who were not as well off.

My own celebrations are solitary and held at the shrines I keep for her. I clean the shrines in the days before the festival and take time to rearrange them if inspired. Offerings include libations of red wine and/or olive oil and food like small cakes, breads and a share of any meals that day. This year I plan to have grilled meat and will offer her a portion. Additional candles and incense are placed on the shrines to be burned through the ritual. Playlists provide most of the music and I sometimes sing her hymns, epithets, or create an impromptu hymn during ritual.

This is an excellent time to give donations to charitable causes and organizations for those in a position to do so. These can be made in her name or in your own name on her behalf. People can pledge the amount and cause during the ritual if unable to physically make the donation at that time. To make a donation in an area of her interests consider organizations that help children in need or rescue and protective causes.