*Ø* Blogmanac March 1 | New Year's Day, ancient Rome

New Year
Hestia, in all dwellings of men and immortals
Yours is the highest honour, the sweet wine offered
First and last at the feast, poured out to you duly.
Never without you can gods or mortals hold banquet.

The Vestal Virgins rekindled the sacred fire of the Temple of Vesta on this day. The Roman goddess Vesta (analogous to Hestia in Greek mythology) and her sacred fire were considered tightly bound to the fortunes of the city, and failure to show proper respect for either was punishable by death.

Vesta's fire could only be rekindled by a burning glass, or by friction on a piece of wood from a fruit tree. In Roman homes, a small cake would be thrown on the fire for Vesta, and it was considered a good omen if it burnt with a crackle.

It was a New Year custom, as with today's Christmas, for the Romans to present gifts (strenae) with accompanying good wishes. The word is connected with the name of a Sabine tutelary goddess, Strenia. From her precinct beside the Via Sacra at Rome consecrated branches were carried up to the Capitoline today. The strenae consisted of branches of bay and palm, sweetmeats made of honey, and figs or dates, and these were supposed to bring joy and happiness in the forthcoming year. The fruits were covered in gold leaf as they are today in Germany – the word as well as the custom, survives in the French word etrennes.

The pontifex maximus (head of the Roman religion, from where the current Roman Catholic Pontiff, or Pope, gets his title) today had the privilege of choosing the priest known as flamen dialis, from a list of three candidates nominated by the college of pontificates or pontiffs. Today, also, the old laurel branches around the doors of the regia (home of the pontifex maximus), rex sacrorum, the great flamines, the curiae, and the temple of Vesta were replaced by new branches, bringing to mind the Christian custom of taking down Christmas trees, holly and other decorations at Epiphany ...

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Today was also the Matronalia, a women's festival dedicated to the goddess Juno Lucina.

Women and girls prayed to her and brought offerings where the goddess was represented veiled, with a flower in her right hand, and an infant in swaddling clothes in her left. Prayers for prosperity in marriage were offered.

By the second century BCE, this aspect of Juno was associated with childbirth because the name lucina was thought to have come from the Latin word lux (light); thus, when a child was born it was said to have been "brought to light". In this aspect the goddess was a lunar deity, often paired with Diana and depicted as holding a torch.

In the worship of Juno Lucina, women had to untie knots and unplait their hair – sympathetic magic to prevent entanglements in the delivery of babies. In Roman homes, prayers were offered for prosperity in marriage, and women waited on the slaves, just as the men did at the Saturnalia ...

These are just snippets of today's stories. Read all about today in folklore, historical oddities, inspiration and alternatives at the Wilson's Almanac Book of Days, every day. Click today's date when you're there.