Komos: Celebrating Festivals in Contemporary Hellenic Polytheism

by Sarah Kate Istra Winter

Festivals were one of the most important aspects of ancient Greek religion, and yet celebrating them – whether adaptations of historical rites or entirely new ones – can be difficult for contemporary Hellenic polytheists. We struggle to maintain an authentic connection to tradition while creating relevant practices which reflect our own relationships to the gods and spirits, as well as to the lands where we live now. Many of us are doing this alone or with only a few other people, unable to achieve the lavish processions, competitions or revels of times past. And yet our desire to honor the gods, explore themes such as purification, fertility and renewal, and mark the sacred progression of the year, remains as strong as ever.

Komos first explains the nature of ancient Greek festivals and the reasons they were observed, before moving forward to offer ways in which the same ideas and motivations can be expressed through modern celebrations. Special attention is given to crafting a localized and individualized practice that both fulfills religious obligations and results in personal enjoyment and spiritual connection. The lunar calendar is explained, along with other approaches to timing and selecting dates. All the significant elements of Hellenic festivals are discussed in detail with suggestions for how each can be included today. To educate and inspire the reader in the process of creating a complete festival calendar, many ancient examples are referenced, along with a few compatible modern folk festivals, and accounts of some of the author’s own experiences. Finally, advice is given for navigating issues such as budgetary restrictions, multi-tradition households, and what to do when things go wrong.

If you have been wanting to add festivals to your spiritual practice but weren’t sure where to begin, or if you just need some ideas to supplement your existing celebrations, this book can help. May you find within these pages the spark that lights your torches for many festivals to come.

Genres: Paganism, Spirituality, Religion, Mythology

98 pages, Paperback

First published August 10, 2015

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I use this book as more of reference book but The author makes good points about adjusting our calendars to the modern era.

[Kohner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was incredibly informative, but not in the way you think. This is not a manual on how to do festivals or what to do for festivals, though she does provide examples of how she celebrates certain ones. At first I was disappointed because I really like seeing ritual formats that other people do, but then I realized that was the point. Especially for solitary practitioners, there is no one right way to do something. This was more inspirational, more informative in the way that she explains things that make you want to get up and do things. While I've been a polytheist for a while and some of the things she said were things I was doing, they were things I had to figure out on my own so this is really good for beginners or people who don't know where to go once they've started.
One thing though, this book was really small. It was chock full of good stuff but this wasn't even 200 pages.

[Conor Warren · Rating 2 out of 5]

No information and opinions that you won't find on her blog. Incredibly short, even more so when one accounts for space taken up by footnotes, random aside boxes, and formatting.

I got this book in high hopes based on recommendations from friends, but I was incredibly disappointed. Her book Kharis was much, much better. Currently trying to find the receipt from Half-Price to see if I can validly return it.

Nothing you won't learn from a Hellenic Polytheist forum or FB group. . .assuming that it hasn't devolved into a mash of in-fighting, pissing contests, and random racists/Greek nationalists spouting their bullshit.

[David Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an outstanding look at traditional and a modern perspectives of Greek festivals and their rules in our practices today.

[Alexia ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great book! :) This is a fantastic book for beginners in Hellenic Polytheism who are not sure how to insert Festivals in modern practices. The author not only gives information on historical practices, cites the sources and gives further readings but also there are stories and descriptions on how they and their group work and do their own celebrations, which is fantastic.

The festivals and celebrations are explained both in a rural, town and urban setting, with several tps and alternatives that can be used. There's even a Troubleshooting section at the end with several things that might stop a festival from happening and with info on what to do and how to solve most of them. I really enjoyed this book and it had a very positive impact on my path, can't wait to start adapting festivals into my own practice.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and needed look at approaching reconstructionist religion from a perspective that seeks to make ancient festival observances relevant to the modern practitioner. More conservative recons will likely want to look elsewhere, as Winter's approach may seem to them to take too many liberties with the tradition. It's food for thought and the examples she gives of her own practice are inspiring. I wish it had been longer!

[Sarah]

This was a wonderful read filled with personal experiences that engaged my thoughts along with (again) wonderfully cited sources for further research for my personal practice. Highly recommended for those wanting to begin in Hellenic Polytheism.

[Foxlynx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful, informative, and encouraging for a beginner HP.

[Suzanne Thackston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure I'd have much to learn from this one. I have (and often recommend) her wonderful 'Kharis' as one of the best introductions to Hellenic Polytheism out there, but I've been celebrating and creating my own festivals for quite some time now, and bought this mostly because I enjoy the writer. But she had SO much to offer me, great inspirations, thoughtful perspectives and really really interesting ideas that are already enhancing my practice. I highly recommend this one to anyone who worships the Gods of Greece.