#country dionysia

[countrydionysia]

2023 Rural Dionysia Announcement

Io! The time of the year has come again for the Rural Dionysia!

How to participate

The Rural Dionysia is meant to be a smaller competition than its urban counterpart, as such, we have selected only 3 categories:

Freestyle poetry

Modern hymns

“Complete the fragment”

Freestyle poetry

Your poem can be about any chosen topic (myth, personal experience etc.) in any written format. It doesn't have to be religious in nature.

Modern hymn

An hymn must sing the praises of a deity of your choice. Unlike the "freestyle poetry", your work must be of religious nature to fit in this category.

Complete the Fragment

Each year, we choose a fragment from an Ancient Greek poet to work with. The challenge is that the initial fragment must be included somewhere in your piece in its original order. This means you can fill the gaps however you want, but you can’t switch the order of the words in your piece or remove words from the original fragment.

Here is the fragment selected for this 2023 edition: Paen 16 by Pindar (52q Oxyrhynchus papyrus; late 2nd century AD; trans. William H. Race; Loeb 56)

……………… ] Lord Apollo, .…] for I pray ….] with willing (mind?) to give ….] power suffices and you were judged to be ….] most gentle to mortals.

Here is the Greek text for reference. Note that because the word "mind" is unsure in this translation, it will be acceptable to keep or modify this word.

-

If in doubt for any of these categories, remember that you can check submissions from the previous years to get an idea of how others have done before.

Submitting your piece

Please submit your piece through submissions on this blog. All entries must be tagged for the category they are being submitted to. but you can only choose 1 category per piece and each person may only submit 1 entry per category each year.

Entries must also be tagged for potentially triggering content and squicks. If your entry needs a trigger warning, kindly add them at the end of your submission and we will take care of adding them in. Check the rules below for further information about submissions.

Calendar of the event

Nov. 10: Official announcement and opening of submissions. Dec. 10: Final submission day. Dec. 11: Vote opening. Dec. 18: Vote closing. Dec. 19-20: Announcement of the winners!

No worries though! We will be posting reminders about each step when the time comes.

General rules

Roleplay and fanfic are not acceptable submissions. This is a religious festival, please respect our faith and do not submit an entry if you are roleplaying or writing fanfiction.

Unlike with the City Dionysia, entries do not necessarily have to be about specific deities or Hellenic polytheism except for the “Modern Hymn” category, which has to be dedicated to one or many gods of your choice.

There are no meter restrictions. This is up to the writer.

All stories, myths, and poems must be entered using the submissions button.

All entries must be tagged for the category they are being submitted to. Entries must also be tagged for potentially triggering content and squicks.

An entry may only be submitted to a single category.

Each person may only submit one entry per category each year.

Winners for each category will be decided by popular vote.

Admins of this blog cannot participate, for obvious reasons. As for now, this includes @thegrapeandthefig @verdantlyviolet

Questions about the rules? Check the blog for past answers, your answer might be in there. And if it's not, simply submit an ask. We'll answer in the best delays possible.

[ivycrownedpanther]

🍇💘 happy rural dionysia! 💘🍇

This is my altar for today! Theres a candle for Dionysus in the middle (back), bracelet I made for him on the left, fluorite hearts carving on the right, and a peen shaped cookie in the middle (front)

As for dionysia activities, today I’ve prayed to him and accidentally fell asleep, made sugar cookies (with vanilla frosting & sprinkles), read hymns, prayed again, and now I’m probably gonna play some video games and maybe later watch a movie :3

[piristephes]

gotta prepare my writtings for Country Dionysia

[chaoticwitchgrimoire]

Would anyone be interested in a PAC with messages from Dionysus ? I enjoyed doing the one with Hermes and am interested in trying again~

[deathlessathanasia]

„The myth which the Naxians have to relate about Dionysus is like this: He was reared, they say, in their country, and for this reason the island has been most dear to him and is called by some Dionysias. For according to the myth which has been handed down to us, Zeus, on the occasion when Semelê had been slain by his lightning before the time for bearing the child, took the babe and sewed it up within his thigh, and when the appointed time came for its birth, wishing to keep the matter concealed from Hera, he took the babe from his thigh in what is now Naxos and gave it to the Nymphs of the island, Philia, Coronis, and Cleidê, to be reared. The reason Zeus slew Semelê with his lightning before she could give birth to her child was his desire that the babe should be born, not of a mortal woman but of two immortals, and thus should be immortal from its very birth.” (Diodoros of Sicily, Library of History 5.52.1)

[caseoficarus]

LOADING FILE…  ID #010815 AKA CODENAME: ICARUS.   ETHAN HOFFMAN. FELIX MALLARD.

—  GENDER: MALE.  PRONOUNS: HE/HIM.  AGE: TWENTY-TWO.  YEAR: JUNIOR.   STUDYING: ENGINEERING.  CITY OF ORIGIN:  SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, USA.

NOW PLAYING…  PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS BY KID CUDI.  A CLUTTERED WORKBENCH, ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOTS ON HIM, REWEARING LAST NIGHT’S CLOTHES IN THE MORNING, ELABORATE HANGOVER CURES.

IF THE WALLS COULD TALK, THEY’D TELL YOU HE STOLE THE DESIGNS OF AN INVENTION THAT AWARDED HIM A SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND UNIVERSITY. 

MENTOR: AVILA, FRANCISCO.    INDUCTION YEAR: 2020. ERROR:  FILE IS CORRUPT. PLEASE REFRESH.

Name: Ethan Wallace Hoffman Nicknames: E Age: 22 Birthday: August, 15th, 2001 FC: Felix Mallard Gender: Male Pronouns: He/Him/His Sexuality: Bisexual Height: 5′10 Blood Type: B+ Build: Slim Vices: Cannabis, Alcohol, Cigarettes, Party Drugs Favorite Colors: Red & Black

History

Ethan had always been the golden boy. Born to a renowned inventor and toy maker (think the likes of the Bop It or Furby) the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. From a young age Ethan showed signs of wanting to be just as inventive as his father and his creative spark was nurtured as soon as he started crafting his first creations out of cardboard and tape. The older he got the more tools became at his disposal and while Ethan never ended up reinventing the wheel, he felt he got damn close. He watched his father’s success and knew one day he’d follow in his father’s footsteps and be a great inventor.  Coming from money and his father’s impressive line of work it was no surprise that Ethan made friends easily growing up. Who wouldn’t want to be friends with the kid who practically gave out toys just for hanging out? His house was always deemed the cool hangout spot for his extensive toy collection and movie theater in the basement. The older Ethan got his house soon transformed into the party house whenever his parents were away on vacation. While Ethan wasn’t the type of guy you’d go to if you had a problem, he could easily be depended on for having a good time and to cheer you up if you were in a bad mood. He was always carefree and reckless and with parents who hardly told him no his impulses only flourished.  Ethan always did well in school despite his party boy nature. Learning came easily to him but that didn’t mean he went off to university directly after high school much to his parents' chagrin. Instead Ethan took off several years to travel the world and see what it had to offer. He visited over ten countries during his travels and made hundreds of new friends in the process but when he returned to the states his parents had an ultimatum for him. If he wanted to continue being supported he had to go off to college and get a degree. While the pressure was only light from his parents he took it as a sign to go to university as far away from them as possible as an act of rebellion. Money wasn’t an issue for Ethan but still he applied for various engineering scholarships. Feeling like he was in a time crunch and ultimately from his own laziness he ended up using one of his father’s inventions to win the scholarship he used to get into Daskalos University. He’d liked Greece from his time traveling and thought that it was as good a place to go to university as any.

Headcanons

He lives in his own dorm without a roommate. He figured having a roommate could wind up being a buzzkill and he wanted the privacy to be able to bring home whomever he wanted whenever he wants. 

His favorite color is red and is almost always wearing it on his person in the form of red converse. 

Before he graduates college he hopes to come up with the next greatest drinking game to rival beer pong. So far all his ideas for games are too elaborate for drunk people to understand.

He was almost kicked out of the dionysia for being late. He shows up just in the nick of time more often than not. 

Ethan attends almost every party on campus. He’s under the impression that a party doesn’t start until he walks in. 

He schedules all his classes for the afternoon or evening because he’s rarely up before eleven AM.

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 1998: The actual result

This year, the BBC put on a big show but shockingly for the BBC this included sponsorship! The big scoreboard has a clear 'Toshiba' logo right across the top. Product placement! On the BBC! Ulrika Jonsson in charge of chivvying along the spokespeople who for the first time are mostly relaying the results of televotes. Some of it gets a little too barbed. UK humour circa 1998 was at the peak of the lad-mag banter years and it showed.

The scoreboard itself was clear if a bit lacking on the design front. There are little score stars to show each country's actual point awards as they're made - a positive development. The graphic design however leaves much to be desired.

This is your regular spoiler warning for a competition that occurred over 25 years ago. If you don't want to know the results, why on Earth did you click on the expand button for this blog?

Boy it's a close finish. Heading into the final few rounds of voting, there are still four countries in contention. As Evgenija Teodosievska announces the results for North Macedonia, the final country to submit their points, Israel, Malta and the UK can all still win. Israel and Malta are tied at the top of the scoreboard with 166 points.

Israel get six points, putting the UK out of contention. Then the UK get the 10 points. All Malta need is the douze and...it goes to Croatia. Israel wins, with the UK pipping Malta to second.

One of the best ever voting sequences in Eurovision history and one in which the hosts were nervous the televoting would cause all manner of technical difficulties alongside the normal failures to communicate. There was one issue with the Spanish votes not being correctly tabulated which changed some scores later, but it did not affect the winner.

That scoreboard (post Spanish correction) in full:

Israel - Dana International - "Diva"

United Kingdom - Imaani - "Where Are You?"

Malta - Chiara - "The One That I Love"

Netherlands - Edsilia Rombley - "Hemel En Aarde"

Croatia - Danijela - "Neka Mi Ne Svane"

Belgium - Mélanie Cohl - "Dis Oui"

Germany - Guildo Horn - "Guildo Hat Euch Lieb"

Norway - Lars A. Fredriksen - "Alltid Sommer"

Ireland - Dawn - "Is Always Over Now?"

Sweden - Jill Johnson - "Kärleken är"

Cyprus - Michael Hajiyanni - "Genesis"

Portugal - Alma Lusa - "Se Eu Te Pudesse Abraçar"

(joint 12th) Estonia -Koit Toome - "Mere Lapsed"

Türkiye - Tüzmen - "Unutamazsin"

Finland - Edea - "Aava"

Spain - Mikel Herzog - "¿Qué Voy A Hacer Sin Ti?"

Poland - Sixteen - "To Takie Proste"

Slovenia - Vili Resnik - "Naj Bogovi Slišijo"

North Macedonia - Vlado Janevski - "Ne Zori, Zoro"

Greece - Dionysia & Thalassa - "Mia Krifi Evaisthissia"

Slovakia - Katarína Hasprová - "Modlitba"

Romania - Malina Olinescu - "Eu Cred"

Hungary - Charlie - "A Holnap Már Ném Lesz Szomorú"

France - Marie-Line - "Où Aller"

Switzerland - Gunvor - "Lass Ihn"

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Dionysus (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- Dion by the others in the pantheon

The Wild Prince by the people of Olympius

Mad Man by Apollo

Age- 17 (immortal)

Location- Thebes, Olympius

Personality- He takes his role as the “party animal god” seriously, constantly pushing it to new extremes. He’s very anxious and insecure about his position as a god in the pantheon. Is he mortal? A god? A demi-god? He's full of chaotic energy & very impulsive, volatile, and unpredictable. He's pansexual and is currently single.

Aside from living in New Olympus with his half-brothers Apollo & Hermes, Dion owns a villa with a sprawling vineyard in Delos, a mansion in Thebes, and a summer home in Shimmering Tail Island. He has a makeshift “aquarium” in the basement of his villa, filled with dolphins and belugas.

He has the standard abilities of a god. His other powers & abilities include alcokinesis (alcohol manipulation), chlorokinesis (as it pertains to vine plants, like grapes & strawberries), inducing & curing madness in others, communicating with/shapeshifting into big cats (like leopards, tigers, and panthers as well as his other sacred animals), invisibility, limited photokinesis, inducing others with hangover symptoms, pyrokinesis (his fire burns purple), & turning any drink into any alcoholic beverage.

Dion is the owner of the most popular club in New Olympus, The Void. The club is always full to capacity every night. He also owns a popular strip club in his district called Delirium. He’s also the resident DJ, known as “The Mad Man." For other work he models for/endorses andro-cene and Masion du Drame & he's also a contributing writer for Kytheiria and The Rainbow Room. He also sometimes provides background vocals for singers- like Apollo and the bands Eclipse & Discordic Harmony. Dionysus is also a licensed bartender!

He's well aware of the crazy events surrounding his birth. He was looked after by some nymphs on Mt. Nysa. Dionysus doesn't know much about the mortal side of his lineage, considering they were long gone while he was a godling. He's very curious about the mother he never knew, Semele. Dionysus also grew up around a satyr named Silenus, who became a father figure to him.

A notable object of Dion is an Imperial Gold headpiece with ornate bull horns. He likes it more than his royal issue crown.

Being the god of wine, he’s responsible for the largest manufacturing and distribution of all the alcohol in the country, sending it to bars, restaurants, clubs, & other establishments. Dionysus has the most recognizable spirits brand in all the realms- Phleôn. The brand includes wine, beer, whiskey, brandy, vodka, rum, gin, & tequila.

Dion is always looking for ways to push the extremes when it comes to Dionysia- the holiday dedicated to him. He looks forward to the orgies with the satyrs & maenads afterward. He also dabbles in the drug scene from time to time, selling lotus dust (much to Zeus' disappointment), which he also uses sometimes.

Even though he has the ability to not be affected by copious amounts of alcohol, Dion hasn’t used this ability in a long, long time‐ actually feeling the sensation of being drunk and experiencing hangovers. He once drank five bottles of merlot at a charity basketball game while sitting in Zeus’ booth. He ended up vomiting all over his step-mother Hera & her white fur bolero jacket. The image made the cover of The Oracle Scoop and was everywhere online within minutes.

He calls himself an adrenaline junkie. He enjoys drag racing, cliff diving, freefall skydiving, and anything else that can give him that “high” feeling. In his free time (when he's not doing high level activities), Dion loves working on screenplays, his talent being writing the most soul wrenching tragedies. He's written plays based on his birth and parents' relationship, but hasn't shared it with anyone. He loves bouncing ideas back and forth with Melpomene (muse of tragedy). Dion also likes rollerblading, skateboarding, going to the opera, watching movies, going to the theater, and playing video games.

Aside from being real close with Apollo & Hermes, Dion's also cool with Ares (god of war). He's not really close with his other half-siblings except for Hebe (goddess of youth) and sometimes Eileithyia (goddess of childbirth) and Eris (goddess of strife & discord). He's also real close with Gelos (god of laughter), The Muses, Adranos (god of fire), The Graces, Lykos (goddess of wolves), Komos (god of revelry); he was their official mentor, Methe (goddess of drunkenness), Adephagia (goddess of gluttony), Pannychis (goddess of nightlife festivities), Mania (goddess of insanity), Pothos (god of longing & yearning), Alala (goddess of the war cry), Deipneus (god of cooking & breadmaking), Móda (goddess of fashion), Himeros (god of impetuous love), Hecate (goddess of magic & witchcraft), Matton (god of meals), Ditus (god of bisexuality, effeminacy, & fertility), Chrysos (god of gold & riches), Zephyrus (god of the west wind), Keraon (god of baking & wine mixing), Naeus (god of weddings), Ailuros (goddess of cats & warfare), Notus (god of the south wind), and Tyche (goddess of luck). Dionysus also looks up to Pan (god of the wilds, satyrs, shepards, & rustic music); who was his official mentor as well as Sponde (goddess of libations) as another mother figure.

Dion has also gathered the rapport of his half-siblings, Castor & Pollux.

He also looks up to Chiron (the immortal centaur).

Dion is always seen with wireless earphones in, blasting loud music.

He has an eccentric sense of style- an odd but fashionable mix of androgynous, avant garde, & campy styles. He loves experimenting with make-up and jewelry. He's a big fan of satin shirts, skinny leather jeans, & snakeskin boots.

Dion is an official co‐chair of the Athens Film Festival.

His favorite dessert from Hollyhock's Bakery are the jelly filled donuts!

Dion gets around in his chrome purple sports car.

His go-to drink is of course red wine. He also likes white wine, rum & cokes, and vodka sodas (added with lime). He also likes the PB & J milkshakes from The Frozen Spoon and the olympian sized dark chocolate mocha from The Roasted Bean.

Dion's favorite meal is fried calamari rings drizzled with sriracha, and a loaf of lazarakia bread topped with garlic butter. He also likes chicken fettuccine alfredo. From Olympic Chef, he likes the double bacon olympian burger (added with onion strings, provolone cheese, & horseradish) with large fries, and olympian sized grape soda.

Aside from hooking up with Aphrodite (goddess of love & beauty) a few times as well as having some casual relationships with some mortal girls & guys, Dion’s never seriously been in love. He's had brief flings with Polyhymnia (muse of hymns), Erato (muse of love poetry), & a one night stand with Ailuros. He also drunkenly made out with Mel during a Dionysia celebration. His last real relationship was with a satyr named Ampelus which ended tragically.

“The music is always loud to silence the madness in my head and soul."

[brookston]

Holidays 12.6

Holidays

Abolición del Ejército (Costa Rica)

Adore You Day

Armed Forces Day (Ukraine)

Christkind (Central & Southern Europe)

Constitution Day (Spain)

Dia de la Constitucion (a.k.a. Constitution Day; Spain)

Dogecoin Day

Ed Tech Appreciation Day

Encyclopedia Britannica Day

Give a Secret Gift Day

Gorse Day (French Republic)

Gramophone Day

Halifax Explosion Anniversary Day (Canada)

Ice Cube Day (Astronomy Club)

International Bad Hair Day

International Desk Day

International Memecoin Day

Miner's Day (West Virginia)

Mitten Tree Day

Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies Day (Azerbaijan)

Musical Instrument Gift Day

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (Canada)

National Microwave Oven Day

National Miner's Day

National Pawnbrokers Day

National Sunnies Day (Australia)

National Travis Day

Put On Your Own Shoes Day

Quito Day (Ecuador)

Sindhi Topi and Ajrak Day (Pakistan)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Make & Bake Day

National ‘Cook For Christmas’ Day

National Gazpacho Day

Samichlaus Day

1st Wednesday in December

Special Kids Day [1st Wednesday]

Independence Days

Åland Islands (from Russia, 1917)

Bophuthatswana (from South Africa, 1977)

Finland (from Russia, 1917)

Ireland (from the UK, recognized in 1922)

Kingdom of Titan (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Abraham of Kratia (Christian; Saint)

Aemilianus (Roman Catholic Church)

Akibasan Gongen Hibuse Matsuri (Fire & Water Festival; Japan)

Crossover Doozer (Muppetism)

Day of the North Wind (Pagan)

Denise and companions (Christian; Saints)

Dionysia, Dativa, Aemilianus, Boniface, Leontia, Tertius, and Majoricus (Christian; Martyrs)

Eliot Porter (Artology)

Frédéric Bazille (Artology)

Gamera Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Insult a Religious Fanatic Day (Pastafarian)

James Bernouilli (Positivist; Saint)

János Scheffler (Christian; Blessed)

María del Monte Carmelo Sallés y Barangueras (Christian; Saint)

Nicholas of Myra (Christian; Saint) [brewers]

Peter Paschal (Christian; Saint)

Pirate Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch (Christian; Saint)

Thor's Day (Norse)

Turnover (The Seasons of Earnings begins; Church of the SubGenius)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [35 of 37]

Unglückstage (Unlucky Day; Pennsylvania Dutch) [28 of 30]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [56 of 60]

Premieres

Adaptation (Film; 2002)

Aeronauts (Film; 2019)

As Good As It Gets (Film; 1997)

Beggar’s Banquet, by The Rolling Stones (Album; 1968)

Bullseye Bullwinkle, or Destination Moose (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S1, Ep. 3; 1959)

Cinderella (Disney Cartoon; 1922)

Day Tripper, by The Beatles (Song; 1965)

DuBarry Was A Lady (Broadway Musical; 1939)

Dumb and Dumber (Film; 1994)

Ferry Cross the Mersey (Documentary Film; 1964)

Gimme Shelter (Concert Film; 1970)

Going To A Go-Go, by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (Song; 1965)

A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, recorded by Bob Dylan (Song; 1962)

Hip Hip-Hurry! (WB MM Cartoon; 1958)

The Lake District Murder, by Ernest Elmore, writing as John Bude (Novel; 1935)

Live at the BBC, by The Beatles (Compilation Album; 1994)

Mary Had a Little Lamb, recorded by Thomas Edison (Song; 1877) [1st Recording of the Human Voice]

Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree (Muppet TV Special; 1995)

19th Nervous Breakdown, recorded by The Rolling Stones (Song; 1965)

Popeye (Film; 1980)

Red Bank Boogie, recorded by The Count Basie Orchestra (Song; 1944)

Rubber Soul, by The Beatles (Album; 1965)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Animated TV Special; 1964)

Running on Empty, by Jackson Browne (Live Album; 1977)

Sixteen Stone, by Bush (Album; 1994)

Smoke on the Water, recorded by Deep Purple (Song; 1971)

Squeeze Play or Invitation to the Trance (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S1, Ep. 4; 1959)

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Film; 1991)

Still Crazy After All These Years, by Paul Simon (Album; 1975)

The Story of an Hour, by Kate Chopin (Short Story; 1894)

The Stroll, by The Diamonds (Song; 1957)

Sympathy for the Devil, by The Rolling Stones (Song; 1968)

Tommy Tucker’s Tooth (Disney Cartoon; 1922)

Turn! Turn! Turn!, by The Byrds (Album; 1965)

We Can Work It Out, by The Beatles (Song; 1965)

Whole Lotta Love, by Led Zeppelin (Song; 1969)

Today’s Name Days

Denise, Henrike, Nikolaus (Austria)

Nikola, Nikolai, Nina (Bulgaria)

Nikica, Niko, Nikola, Nikša, Vladimir (Croatia)

Mikuláš (Czech Republic)

Nikolaus (Denmark)

Klaus, Laas, Laus, Nigul, Nigulas, Niilas, Niilo, Nikolai, Nils (Estonia)

Niila, Niilo, Niki, Niklas, Niko, Nikolai, Nikolas (Finland)

Nicolas (France)

Denise, Henrike, Nikolaus (Germany)

Nikolaos, Nikoleta, Nikos (Greece)

Miklós (Hungary)

Nicola (Italy)

Klāvs, Niklāvs, Nikolajs (Latvia)

Bilmantas, Mikalojus, Norvydė (Lithuania)

Nikolai, Nils (Norway)

Dionizja, Emilian, Jarema, Jarogniew, Mikołaj (Poland)

Nicolae (România)

Mikuláš (Slovakia)

Nicolás (Spain)

Niklas, Nikolaus (Sweden)

Nicholas (Ukraine)

Claus, Ira, Nicholas, Nichole, Nicholet, Nick, Nicklaus, Nickolas, Nico, Nicolas, Nicole, Nicolette, Nikki, Niko, Nikolas (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 340 of 2024; 25 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of week 49 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 9 of 28]

Chinese: Month 10 (Gui-Hai), Day 24 (Wu-Xu)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 23 Kislev 5784

Islamic: 23 Jumada I 1445

J Cal: 10 Zima; Threesday [10 of 30]

Julian: 23 November 2023

Moon: 36%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 4 Bichat (13th Month) [James Bernouilli]

Runic Half Month: Is (Stasis) [Day 11 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 74 of 89)

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 15 of 30)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 12.6

Holidays

Abolición del Ejército (Costa Rica)

Adore You Day

Armed Forces Day (Ukraine)

Christkind (Central & Southern Europe)

Constitution Day (Spain)

Dia de la Constitucion (a.k.a. Constitution Day; Spain)

Dogecoin Day

Ed Tech Appreciation Day

Encyclopedia Britannica Day

Give a Secret Gift Day

Gorse Day (French Republic)

Gramophone Day

Halifax Explosion Anniversary Day (Canada)

Ice Cube Day (Astronomy Club)

International Bad Hair Day

International Desk Day

International Memecoin Day

Miner's Day (West Virginia)

Mitten Tree Day

Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies Day (Azerbaijan)

Musical Instrument Gift Day

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (Canada)

National Microwave Oven Day

National Miner's Day

National Pawnbrokers Day

National Sunnies Day (Australia)

National Travis Day

Put On Your Own Shoes Day

Quito Day (Ecuador)

Sindhi Topi and Ajrak Day (Pakistan)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Make & Bake Day

National ‘Cook For Christmas’ Day

National Gazpacho Day

Samichlaus Day

1st Wednesday in December

Special Kids Day [1st Wednesday]

Independence Days

Åland Islands (from Russia, 1917)

Bophuthatswana (from South Africa, 1977)

Finland (from Russia, 1917)

Ireland (from the UK, recognized in 1922)

Kingdom of Titan (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Abraham of Kratia (Christian; Saint)

Aemilianus (Roman Catholic Church)

Akibasan Gongen Hibuse Matsuri (Fire & Water Festival; Japan)

Crossover Doozer (Muppetism)

Day of the North Wind (Pagan)

Denise and companions (Christian; Saints)

Dionysia, Dativa, Aemilianus, Boniface, Leontia, Tertius, and Majoricus (Christian; Martyrs)

Eliot Porter (Artology)

Frédéric Bazille (Artology)

Gamera Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Insult a Religious Fanatic Day (Pastafarian)

James Bernouilli (Positivist; Saint)

János Scheffler (Christian; Blessed)

María del Monte Carmelo Sallés y Barangueras (Christian; Saint)

Nicholas of Myra (Christian; Saint) [brewers]

Peter Paschal (Christian; Saint)

Pirate Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch (Christian; Saint)

Thor's Day (Norse)

Turnover (The Seasons of Earnings begins; Church of the SubGenius)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [35 of 37]

Unglückstage (Unlucky Day; Pennsylvania Dutch) [28 of 30]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [56 of 60]

Premieres

Adaptation (Film; 2002)

Aeronauts (Film; 2019)

As Good As It Gets (Film; 1997)

Beggar’s Banquet, by The Rolling Stones (Album; 1968)

Bullseye Bullwinkle, or Destination Moose (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S1, Ep. 3; 1959)

Cinderella (Disney Cartoon; 1922)

Day Tripper, by The Beatles (Song; 1965)

DuBarry Was A Lady (Broadway Musical; 1939)

Dumb and Dumber (Film; 1994)

Ferry Cross the Mersey (Documentary Film; 1964)

Gimme Shelter (Concert Film; 1970)

Going To A Go-Go, by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (Song; 1965)

A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, recorded by Bob Dylan (Song; 1962)

Hip Hip-Hurry! (WB MM Cartoon; 1958)

The Lake District Murder, by Ernest Elmore, writing as John Bude (Novel; 1935)

Live at the BBC, by The Beatles (Compilation Album; 1994)

Mary Had a Little Lamb, recorded by Thomas Edison (Song; 1877) [1st Recording of the Human Voice]

Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree (Muppet TV Special; 1995)

19th Nervous Breakdown, recorded by The Rolling Stones (Song; 1965)

Popeye (Film; 1980)

Red Bank Boogie, recorded by The Count Basie Orchestra (Song; 1944)

Rubber Soul, by The Beatles (Album; 1965)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Animated TV Special; 1964)

Running on Empty, by Jackson Browne (Live Album; 1977)

Sixteen Stone, by Bush (Album; 1994)

Smoke on the Water, recorded by Deep Purple (Song; 1971)

Squeeze Play or Invitation to the Trance (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S1, Ep. 4; 1959)

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Film; 1991)

Still Crazy After All These Years, by Paul Simon (Album; 1975)

The Story of an Hour, by Kate Chopin (Short Story; 1894)

The Stroll, by The Diamonds (Song; 1957)

Sympathy for the Devil, by The Rolling Stones (Song; 1968)

Tommy Tucker’s Tooth (Disney Cartoon; 1922)

Turn! Turn! Turn!, by The Byrds (Album; 1965)

We Can Work It Out, by The Beatles (Song; 1965)

Whole Lotta Love, by Led Zeppelin (Song; 1969)

Today’s Name Days

Denise, Henrike, Nikolaus (Austria)

Nikola, Nikolai, Nina (Bulgaria)

Nikica, Niko, Nikola, Nikša, Vladimir (Croatia)

Mikuláš (Czech Republic)

Nikolaus (Denmark)

Klaus, Laas, Laus, Nigul, Nigulas, Niilas, Niilo, Nikolai, Nils (Estonia)

Niila, Niilo, Niki, Niklas, Niko, Nikolai, Nikolas (Finland)

Nicolas (France)

Denise, Henrike, Nikolaus (Germany)

Nikolaos, Nikoleta, Nikos (Greece)

Miklós (Hungary)

Nicola (Italy)

Klāvs, Niklāvs, Nikolajs (Latvia)

Bilmantas, Mikalojus, Norvydė (Lithuania)

Nikolai, Nils (Norway)

Dionizja, Emilian, Jarema, Jarogniew, Mikołaj (Poland)

Nicolae (România)

Mikuláš (Slovakia)

Nicolás (Spain)

Niklas, Nikolaus (Sweden)

Nicholas (Ukraine)

Claus, Ira, Nicholas, Nichole, Nicholet, Nick, Nicklaus, Nickolas, Nico, Nicolas, Nicole, Nicolette, Nikki, Niko, Nikolas (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 340 of 2024; 25 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of week 49 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 9 of 28]

Chinese: Month 10 (Gui-Hai), Day 24 (Wu-Xu)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 23 Kislev 5784

Islamic: 23 Jumada I 1445

J Cal: 10 Zima; Threesday [10 of 30]

Julian: 23 November 2023

Moon: 36%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 4 Bichat (13th Month) [James Bernouilli]

Runic Half Month: Is (Stasis) [Day 11 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 74 of 89)

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 15 of 30)

[countrydionysia]

Time to announce the winners!!!

For good Fortune! The 2023 Rural Dionysia is now officially over. The poll is now closed, and it is time to reveal the winners of this year's edition:

For the Freestyle poetry category, the winner is:

for furor club (óðinn and dionysos) by @disir-ex-machina

For the Modern Hymn category, the winner is

Dionysus by @beastial-bacchanal

and finally, for the “Complete the Fragment” category, the winner is

Sing the melody, calm your mind. by @piristephes

Thank you to everyone who has participated and voted and big congratulations to our three winners for this edition!

For those who celebrate it, receive our best wishes, and that you have a merry Rural Dionysia and I wish merry holidays to the others.

Reminder: The City Dionysia has its own blog @dionysia-ta-astika, so any upcoming news will be posted there. Give that blog a follow if you want to be updated. The City Dionysia is expected to be held between early February and mid-March 2024.

[ivycrownedpanther]

I’m crying…,. I made sugar cookies for rural dionysia and while most of them are just regular circles, I thought it’d be funny if I tried to make a peen-shaped one (cuz of the whole phallus-shaped cakes thing) and it turned out so funky 😭 I actually love it so much hdhxjhsgxjejdjsj

[puffinet]

i know walter pater is not A Source you can depend on but his prose about dionysian religion is soooo...

The religion of Dionysus takes us back, then, into that old Greek life of the vineyards, as we see it on many painted vases, with much there as we should find it now, as we see it in Bennozzo Gozzoli's mediaeval fresco of the Invention of Wine in the Campo Santo at Pisa- -the family of Noah presented among all the circumstances of a Tuscan vineyard, around the press from which the first wine is flowing, a painted idyll, with its vintage colours still opulent in decay, and not without its solemn touch of biblical symbolism. For differences, we detect in that primitive life, and under that Greek sky, a nimbler play of fancy, lightly and unsuspiciously investing all things with personal aspect and incident, and a certain mystical apprehension, now almost departed, of unseen powers beyond the material veil of things, corresponding to the exceptional vigour and variety of the Greek organisation. This peasant life lies, in unhistoric time, behind the definite forms with which poetry and a refined [21] priesthood afterwards clothed the religion of Dionysus; and the mere scenery and circumstances of the vineyard have determined many things in its development. The noise of the vineyard still sounds in some of his epithets, perhaps in his best-known name—Iacchus, Bacchus. The masks suspended on base or cornice, so familiar an ornament in later Greek architecture, are the little faces hanging from the vines, and moving in the wind, to scare the birds. That garland of ivy, the aesthetic value of which is so great in the later imagery of Dionysus and his descendants, the leaves of which, floating from his hair, become so noble in the hands of Titian and Tintoret, was actually worn on the head for coolness; his earliest and most sacred images were wrought in the wood of the vine. The people of the vineyard had their feast, the little or country Dionysia, which still lived on, side by side with the greater ceremonies of a later time, celebrated in December, the time of the storing of the new wine. It was then that the potters' fair came, calpis and amphora, together with lamps against the winter, laid out in order for the choice of buyers; for Keramus, the Greek Vase, is a son of Dionysus, of wine and of Athene, who teaches men all serviceable and decorative art. Then the goat was killed, and its blood poured out at the root of the vines; and Dionysus literally drank the blood of goats; and, being Greeks, with quick and mobile sympathies, [22] deisidaimones,+ "superstitious," or rather "susceptible of religious impressions," some among them, remembering those departed since last year, add yet a little more, and a little wine and water for the dead also; brooding how the sense of these things might pass below the roots, to spirits hungry and thirsty, perhaps, in their shadowy homes. But the gaiety, that gaiety which Aristophanes in the Acharnians has depicted with so many vivid touches, as a thing of which civil war had deprived the villages of Attica, preponderates over the grave. The travelling country show comes round with its puppets; even the slaves have their holiday;* the mirth becomes excessive; they hide their faces under grotesque masks of bark, or stain them with wine-lees, or potters' crimson even, like the old rude idols painted red; and carry in midnight procession such rough symbols of the productive force of nature as the women and children had best not look upon; which will be frowned upon, and refine themselves, or disappear, in the feasts of cultivated Athens.

[chaoticwitchgrimoire]

yesterday was country (rural) dionysia and i had full intentions of drinking wine all night when i got off of work but then my manager called out sick and my boss filled in and she said i could keep all the tips if i closed so i worked an extra three hours and didnt get my wine :(

[deathlessathanasia]

"Kronia were celebrated on Rhodes on the sixth of Metageitnion (text: Pedageitnion). Porphyry (On Abstinence 2.54) tells of humans being sacrificed to Kronos during that festival. Later, a condemned criminal was kept alive until the Kronia, and then taken outside the gates to Aristobule’s statue, given wine to drink and slaughtered. From the date it has been concluded that this typical example of a scapegoat ritual springs from the Artemis cult and became associated with Kronos only later. This may quite well be true, although it is dangerous to build a case on a chance temporal coincidence. Important, however, is the fact that elsewhere as well, Kronos is associated specifically with bloody and cruel human sacrifices; the ancient attitude is summarised by Sophocles (Andr. fr. 126 Radt) as follows: ‘Of old there is a custom among barbarians to sacrifice humans to Kronos.’ Clearly this is about barbarians, as are other testimonia. Best known are the Phoenician-Punic human sacrifices, which are supposed to have been introduced by a former king, El/Kronos. The Carthaginian god in whose huge bronze statue children were burnt to death also was identified with Kronos/Saturnus. It was said that in Italy and Sardinia, too, humans had been sacrificed to Saturnus — probably just as legendary a fact as Istros’ (FGrH 334 F 48) remark about Crete that the Kouretes in ancient times sacrificed children to Kronos, or the later reports by Christian authors about human sacrifices in Greece itself.

Surveying all these data, one is not surprised that in places Kronos stands as a signum for human sacrifice, bloody offering and even cannibalism. Side by side with the above-mentioned text by Sophocles stands, for instance, Euhemerus, view (Ennius Euhemerus 9.5) that Kronos and Rhea and the other people living then used to eat human flesh. A more negative and gruesome picture hardly can be imagined. Therefore, the appearance of another, again utterly contrasting one is all the more striking. According to Empedocles, and in Pythagorean circles generally, Kronos is the very symbol of unbloody sacrifice. The Athenian cake sacrifice is a good illustration of this, and Athenaeus 3,11 OB informs us that by way of offering the Alexandrians used to put loaves of bread in Kronos’ temple, from which everybody was allowed to eat. This peaceful and joyous aspect crops up in an almost hyperbolic form in the Attic celebration of the Kronia.

Apart from a short mention by Demosthenes 24.26, with mention of the date (12 Hekatombaion = ± August), we have two somewhat more detailed reports. Plutarch Moralia 1098B: ‘So too, when slaves hold the Kronia feast or go about celebrating the country Dionysia, you could not endure the jubilation and din.’ Macrobius Saturnalia 1.10.22:Philochorus [FGrH 328 F 97] says that Cecrops was the first to build, in Attica, an altar to Saturn and Ops, worshiping these deities as Jupiter and Earth, and to ordain that, when crops and fruits had been garnered, heads of households everywhere should eat thereof in company with the slaves with whom they had borne the toil of cultivating the land, for it was well pleasing to the god that honour should be paid to the slaves in consideration of their labour. And that is why we follow the practice of a foreign land and offer sacrifice to Saturn with the head uncovered, (tr. P. V. Davies). … Finally, the Roman poet Accius (Ann. fr. 3 M, Bae.; Fr. poet. lat. Morel p. 34) adds that most Greeks, but the Athenians in particular, celebrated this festival: ‘in all fields and towns they feast upon banquets elatedly and everyone waits upon his own servants. From this had been adopted as well our own custom of servants and masters eating together in one and the same place.’"

- H. S. Versnel, Greek Myth and Ritual: The Case of Kronos, in Interpretations of Greek Mythology

[davidluongart]

Something for Dionysia + modern-day music recommendations (?!!) below

A bit of full disclosure here, so lately, I had been drawing this since all of the “climate changes” & “casualties of forest fires” that happened within all of my Greek friends and the country of Greece this year. And on a bit of positive note, the “lesser-known” and the more ancient festival of “rural Dionysia” are going to come soon, in the month of Poseidon (roughly corresponding to the time between modern-day December and January) - contrasting with the more popular and exuberant “City/Great Dionysia” that often celebrate in urban metropolitan cities (such as Athens or Eleusis) in the spring. (Even though a lot original and special festival customs often happened on the outdoors , you can say that “it’s 2021 and the Greek gods themselves are willing do it inside for a change; amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Their own version of Dionysia would be much more homely and simple.”)

According to a lot of sources, “while only different in form and presentation, both Rural and City Dionysia festivals was celebrated with a large procession in which men carried a phallus and the phallus-shaped cakes. Revelers and singers were also a part of the procession. An image representation of the Dionysos was also included to represent his coming to the area. The festival also included various types of stage plays (satirical, tragedies, and comedies) and the playing of many lighthearted games.” While a lot of archeologists and historians had been pinpointed that “City Dionysia” to 6th century BC Athens during the tyranny of Peisistratos, they can’t finding a lot of answers for the older ancient one- despite knowing it was originally a rural festival of “the harvesting and celebration of wine” in the Eleutherae of the Attica region, and it might perhaps not even associated with the god Dionysos at all.

Modern-day socio-cultural remnants of these two Dionysia festivals can still be found in a lot of places of modern-day Greece, albeit celebrating and varying differently in each city/region. (Such as the “Phallephoria” festival that recently been widely celebrated by the Hellenic Polytheistic community, “Labrys” in Athens in the mid-2010s, for the first time after 2000 years; the strange but weirdly ecstatic “Bourani” festival of the small Greek town of Tirnavos, near Thessaloniki; and the “Goat festival/dancing carnival” of the island of Skyros, etc. ) And for me about my version of the Greek gods and goddesses? I just imagine them as 21st century average Greeks who just going all of the same personal shit that mortals did. They would be the one I would love to have a Vietnamese “bánh mì” and “cà phê sữa đá” with in the morning; and maybe having tons of alcoholic drink and go clubbing at night. Here are some of the playlists of songs that would fit with each god, and of what I guess of what a modern-day Eastern European/ Balkan “Dionysian rave nightclub party” style would look like? Since it does coming from a lot of very diverse genres that might have Eastern European roots/origins? (Edit: To many Greek Tumblr users and the ones who come from Eastern Mediterranean who happened to be interested in Greek myths as well, feel free to chime in by reblogging and sharing your own playlists.✌️)

Ares’ playlist: Out of all the gods in the Olympian pantheon, I’m feeling most relatable and “at home” with him the most, the god of war and courage unironically. (Have “Greek dad/uncle” vibes to him, to be honest.) I might be personally biased since I might have showing Ares in a much more positive light/watering him down from the usual pop culture “bloodthirsty warmonger” stereotype ; but hey, here are some late 90s-early 2010s nostalgic Eurovision-style classic trance and heavy bass music that I thought fits the god ‘s image so well. (Since “all is always fair in love and war”, right ?)

Natalie Imbruglia - Torn

Gareth Emery feat. Christina Novelli - Concrete Angel

Gareth Emery - Elise

Gareth Emery - Sanctuary ft. Lucy Saunders

Alice DJ - Better Off Alone

O-Zone - Dragonstea Din Tei

Swedish House Mafia- Don’t You Worry Child feat. John Martin

BBE - 7 days and one week

100 gecs - xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx (feat. Tommy Cash and Hannah Diamond) ( This is considered to be hyperpop/P.C. Music, but it still fits with a lot of the old-school early 2000s dance music vibes so well)

Joel Corry X RAYE X David Guetta -BED

Aphrodite’s playlist: As the goddess of love, sexuality, passion, procreation and beauty, I’m feeling that she does listen to a lot of classic-modern day Western European disco and pop, from ABBA, Madonna to Kylie Minogue; and maybe mixing with modern day Eastern European/ Balkan nightclub house music from times to times.

Benny Benassi - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (Royal Gigolos Club Mix)

Rina Sawayama - Commes Des Garçons (Like the Boys)

Minelli - Rampampam (KEAN DYSSO Remix)

INNA - Flashbacks

INNA - Oh My God

Shygirl - SIREN (Basement Jaxx Cruise Remix)

Shygirl- TASTY (Boys Noize Remix)

Kylie Minogue - In Your Eyes (A-Mase & Sharliz Cover Remix)

Example - All Night

Example - Click

Apollo’s playlist: As the god of the light in the sun, oracles, arts, knowledge and poetry, as well as herds, flocks and protector of the young; he definitely does give me a lot of “dark academia” lifestyle, but much more like “a professional conservative man” and minus “the western Eurocentric view of the world, romanticization of unhealthy coping mechanisms, debauchery, etc.” that everyone within this aesthetic community often accidentally falling into. (I myself might be considered “the kid from the streets” with “the nightclub lifestyle”, but at least I do know what a perfect studying environment is. /s) So maybe tons of classical music sampled and mixed with modern-day music genres (such as electronic, hip-hop, bass, trap, and techno, etc.) might fit him the best?

Calvin Markus - One Fell Swoop (Vivaldi Remixed)

Apashe - Time Warp (feat. Sami Chaouki)

Apashe - Good News

Apashe - Uebok (Gotta Run) feat. Instasamka

Apashe - Behind My Eyes (feat. LIA)

Apashe - Dies Irae (feat. Black Prez)

Apashe - Lacrimosa

Apashe & Slumberjack - Legend (feat. Wasiu)

This cover of “Storm/ Vivaldi’s Summer ‘Presto’ ” by British violinist Vanessa Mae

Apashe - Work (ft. Vo Williams)

Dionysus’ playlist: As a god for not only the celebration of wine itself (including the processes of grapeharvesting, winemaking, and wine) fruitfulness, vegetation and fertility, but also the ritual madness/ religious ecstasy around it (through forms of arts and theatre) and being the protector of a lot of marginalized groups in the formal polarizing conventional society. (Especially during the Ancient Greek time, maenads are mostly consisted of slaves, women and non-citizens, etc.) For me, maybe the modern-day maximalist and exaggerated sounds of “hyperpop/P.C. music” tracks do fit him the most, with a tons of experimental musicians such as Arca and the late-passing SOPHIE. (Whom often used the platform to experiment with the gender representation of their voices, through the genre’s emphasis of vocal modulation.)

Arca and SOPHIE - La Chiqui

Arca - Mequetrefe

Arca - Time

The whole music tracks from SOPHIE’s “OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES” album + all of the remixed tracks (side 1 + side 2)

SOPHIE - Whole New World (SOPHIE and Doss Remix)

SOPHIE - It’s Okay To Cry

Ariadne’s playlist: Consisted of 90s-early 00s glam rock/punk, with a bit of mixing with hyperpop genre (from Dionysus.) and a tinge of sadness and melancholy?? (Considering the circumstances with her early life living with her parents in Crete with the mission of guiding the heroes to slew her half-brother, the Minotaur; resulted in later being stranded in the island of Naxos and abandoned by her lover, Theseus.)

Charli XCX - Silver Cross (A. G. Cook Edit)

Younger Younger 28s- The Next Big Thing

Sega Bodega & Dorian Electra - Teenage Dirtbag (Cover)

Planet 1999 - Party (A. G. Cook, Baseck Remix)

Hannah Diamond & Danny L Harle - Part of Me

Hannah Diamond - Make Believe

Hannah Diamond - Love Goes On

SOPHIE - JUST WE LIKE NEVER SAID GOODBYE

Everything But The Girl - Missing

Arca - Afterwards feat. Björk

Hermes’ playlist: Currently one of the Greek gods that I have the most extreme love-hate relationship with, the most. “Hard-on-the-edge” and “fast-paced” Eastern European techno/hardbass (and other recent experimental genres such as the ones from Shygirl, combining genres of “hip hop”, “house”, “U.K. grime” and “deconstructed club music” together) might fits with him the most, due to his still-relevant image with our modern day “workaholic hustle culture” of “rise and grind”, “live fast die young”, and “fast trendy fashion styles.”

IN IN IN - ZEBRA KATZ

LICK IT N SPLIT- ZEBRA KATZ (feat. Shygirl)

Tear The House Up - Hervé x ZEBRA KATZ

Shygirl feat. Slowthai - BDE

Shygirl - LENG

COBRAH- GOOD PUSS

Quay Dash - Queen Of This Shit

SOPHIE, Shygirl and Clockwork Venus- SLIME /BM

Arca x ROSALÍA & Travis Scott - TKN (Arca Edit)

DJ Blyatman & Russian Village Boys - Cyka Blyat