Festivals

From Encyclopediak

Festivals, or Feasts, celebrations in honor of some personage or to commemorate some great event. The chief festivals of the Jews were the Pentecost, Passover and Feast of Tabernacles, attendance on these being required of all males. The Greeks celebrated the Dionysia, the Eleusinia and the Olympian, Isthmian, Nemean and Pythian games, besides various local festivals. Among the Roman feasts, the Saturnalia, Cerealia and Lupercalia were important. Sunday, the survival of the Hebrew Sabbath, is the only day observed by all branches of the Christian Church, but the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches celebrate many days or periods commemorative of events in the life of Christ.