I am Woman, Hear Me Roar!

Matronalia is upon us. And you know what that means?

Gifts! For me! YAY!

I got new candles and new incense. I got rosemary mint oil. I got a new set of tarot cards with fairies on them. I got candy. My husband planted new things in the garden for me; a lilac bush; some lavender, sage, and mint. In a little greenhouse we started sunflowers and arugula.

I am loved.

Matronalia is a celebration of women that has been celebrated since the early Romans. On March 1, the first of the year, they celebrated the goddess Juno. Juno is the roman goddess of childbirth and motherhood; basically women in general. (Greek equivalent would be Hera.) Women would be allowed to wear their hair down.(Apparently that was a no-no.) There would be no work that day. They would receive gifts from their husbands and children. Men prepared special prayers for their wives. Women prepared a feast for their slaves. It was basically an early version of Mother’s Day. On the day of, in 375 B.C., they dedicated a large temple in Rome to the goddess Juno to solidify it as her day.

Why would they celebrate women on the first day of the god Mars’ month you ask? Why not June 1?

Mars was born to Juno on the first of March. Born to Juno of her own accord; she didn’t need a man. And so Mars celebrates the day of his birth as homage to his mommy.

Or…

Mars fathered twins Romulus and Remus who went on to found Rome. However, there was a severe lack of ladies in the town. So they invited the neighboring women to a festival and kept them. Married them and had children. And so to honor Juno for the blessing (of kidnapped and raped women, but wives for the men none the less) they did it on the first of the year. And since it was Mars’ son who kidnapped the women, he gave up his birthday in honor of Juno.

So one of those. Believe what you will.

In the end, bring on the presents.