FLORALIA: CELBRATIONS OF SPRING · Torch: U.S. · Spring 2024
21
Emulating the delight of emerging from dark, bleak, and cold winters to colorful, warm springs Floralia brought color and festivities for six days. Rather than wearing their traditional white togas, Romans exchanged the everyday wear for colorful garments. Additionally, they also wore floral wreaths.
Many of the traditions of Floralia, in addition, were surrounded around games or ludi, and they were mostly played publicly on the streets. The festival also tended to start with a theatrical performances, known as a ludi scaenici, and close with both a sacrifice to the goddes, herself, and more competitive occasions with games. Some of these theatrical performances included at tightrope-walking elephant during the reign of Galba in 68 AD, according to Suetonius. There were also wrestling matches, dances to folk music, and mimed performances
Even though the main intention of all the ludi was to celebrate and honor Flora, it, nevertheless, was an opportunity for politicians to gain legitimacy and popularity for future elections. The ludi were run by the aediles, elected officials of Rome, who were in charge of maintaining public buildings and and regulating public holiday festivities. If they did a good job in running these events, it was an easy way to gain approval and support from citizens for their next election.
Flora was not only the goddess of flowers and blossoming plants, but also the goddess of love, beauty, and abundance. She was also one of the several goddesses in Ancient Roman mythology known to be associated with fertility. Thus, Romans would also ceremoniously released goats and hares, both of which were animals associated to be fertile. To also spread this energy to the common people, crowds had dry beans and the flowers vetches and lupins thrown at them, all also symbols of fertility.
So, as the seasons change, trees begin to grow new leaves, flowers sprout, look around at the little joys of spring, soaking in the same energy that Ancient Romans found themselves in as they celebrated Floralia.