January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
The early Roman calendar was based on a lunar cycle, not the solar cycle that we use today. The Romans marked time as being before the cycles of the moon (i.e. 5 days before the Kalends of October). As such, festival dates changed dates from year to year. The dates given below are general dates, and, depending on the calendar one is using, could be off by a few days.
| January | |
| 1 | - KALENDS
- New Year's Day. Day sacred to Jupiter, Juno, and Janus - Festival for Aesculapius - Agonalia - Sacrifice day for Fortuna - Festival for Vedovus |
| 5 | - NONES
- Festival for Vica Pota |
| 6 | - Festival day for Proserpina |
| 8 | - Sacred day for Justicia |
| 9 | - Agonalia |
| 11 | - Festival of Carmentalia begins
- Juturnalia |
| 12 | - Festival of Compitalia |
| 13 | - IDES |
| 15 | - Festival of Carmentalia ends
- Feast of the Ass |
| 16 | - Concordia honored today |
| 17 | - A day sacred to Felicitas
- Festival of Janus |
| 25 | ~ Feriae Sementivae |
| 30 | - Festival of Peace |
| February | |
| 1 | - KALENDS
- Festival of Helernus |
| 2 | - Festival of Juno Februa |
| 5 | - NONES |
| 9 | - Feast of Apollo |
| 12 | - A day holy to Diana |
| 13 | - IDES
- Faunalia - Parentalia begins - Orgiastic festival of Juno Februa begins |
| 14 | - Orgiastic festival of Juno Februa ends
- Day sacred to Juno Lupa |
| 15 | - Lupercalia |
| 17 | - Quirinalia
~ Fornacalia |
| 18 | - Rites of Tacita |
| 19 | - Birthday of Minerva |
| 21 | - Parentalia ends
- Feralia |
| 22 | - Festival of Caristia |
| 23 | - Festival of Terminalia |
| 24 | - Regifugium |
| 27 | - Festival of Equirria |
| end | - Februalia |
| March | |
| 1 | - New Year's Day according to the pre-Julian calendar
- The sacred fire in Vesta's temple was rekindled on this day - KALENDS - Women's festival of Matronalia - Birthday of Mars Pater |
| 5 | - Navigum Isis |
| 6 | - Day honoring the gods of one's household |
| 7 | - NONES
- Festival of Junonalia - Festival for Vedovus |
| 11 | - Day sacred to Hercules |
| 14 | - Festival of Veturius Mamurius |
| 15 | - IDES
- Festival of Attis and Cybele - Day sacred to Anna Parenna and River Nymphs - Julius Caesar was assassinated on this day ("Caesar, beware the IDES of March!") - Guild festival |
| 16 | - Festival of Bacchus begins |
| 17 | - Festival of Bacchus ends
- Liberalia |
| 19 | - Quinquatrus
- Quinquatria begins |
| 22 | - Procession of the Tree-Bearers |
| 23 | - Quinquatria ends
- Tubilustrium - Invocation day of Mars and Saturn - Day of Mourning |
| 24 | - Dies Sanguinis |
| 25 | - Hilaria |
| 28 | - Festival of the Sacrifice at the Tombs |
| 30 | - Festival of Janus and Concordia |
| 31 | - Festival for Luna |
| April | |
| 1 | - KALENDS
- Veneralia - Festival of Fortuna Virilis |
| 3 | - Proserpina's rise from the Underworld
- Day (sunset-sunset) sacred to Bona Dea |
| 4 | - Festival of Megalesia begins |
| 5 | - NONES
- Festival for Fortuna Publica |
| 10 | - Birthday of Cybele
- Festival of Megalesia ends |
| 11 | - "Diana's Bread" baked today |
| 12 | - Festival of Cerealia begins |
| 13 | - IDES
- Festival of Libertas and Jupiter Libertas - Festival of Jupiter Victor |
| 15 | - Fordicalia |
| 19 | - Festival of Cerealia ends |
| 21 | - Paralia
- Natalis Urbis |
| 22 | - Festival of Jupiter and Juno |
| 23 | - Vinalia Priora |
| 25 | - Festival of Robigalia |
| 28 | - Festival of Floralia begins |
| 30 | - Festival of Floralia ends |
| end | - Feriae Latinae |
| May | |
| 1 | - KALENDS
- Day sacred to Maia - Feast for Lares Praestites |
| 3 | - Women's Festival of Bona Dia
- Florae |
| 7 | - NONES |
| 9 | - Festival of Lemuria (day 1) |
| 11 | - Festival of Lemuria (day 2) |
| 13 | - Festival of Lemuria (day 3) |
| 14 | - Festival for Mars Invictus |
| 15 | - IDES
- Day sacred to Maia and Vesta - Sacrifice day to the Tiber River - Festival for Mercury |
| 17 | - Festival for Dea Dia |
| 18 | - Day sacred to Apollo |
| 21 | - Festival for Vedovus |
| 23 | - Rosalia
- Tubilustrium - Festival for Vulcan |
| 27 | - Secular Centennial Games |
| 29 | - Festival of Ambarvalia
- Feast of Mars |
| June | |
| 1 | - KALENDS
- Festival of Carna - Day sacred to Tempestas - Festival for Juno Moneta |
| 4 | - Festival for Hercules Custos |
| 5 | - NONES |
| 7 | - Day of Vesta Asperit |
| 8 | - Festival for Mens
- Day consecrated for Vesta |
| 9 | - Vestalia |
| 10 | - Day consecrated for Vesta |
| 11 | - Day sacred to Fortuna Virgo
- Rites of Matralia |
| 13 | - IDES
- Lesser Quinquartrus - Festival of Jupiter Fulgor |
| 15 | - Women's festival of Vestalia |
| 16 | - Festival of Ludi Piscatari |
| 18 | - Festival for Anna |
| 19 | - Festival for Minerva |
| 20 | - Festival for Summanus |
| 24 | - Fors Fortuna |
| 25 | - Ludi Taurii begin |
| 26 | - Ludi Taurii end |
| 27 | - Festival of Initium Aestatis
- Festival of Jupiter Stator - Day Sacred to the Lares |
| 30 | - Day of Aestas |
| July | |
| 1 | - KALENDS |
| ? | - Adonia |
| 2 | - Feast of Expectant Mothers |
| 4 | - Day of Pax |
| 5 | - Poplifugia |
| 6 | - Ludi Apollinares begin |
| 7 | - NONES
- Nonae Caprotinae - Festival of Feriae Ancillarum - Parilia |
| 8 | - Vitulatio |
| 13 | - Ludi Apollinares end |
| 15 | - IDES |
| 17 | - Festival for Victoria
- Festival for Virtus |
| 18 | - Vitulatio |
| 19 | - Festival of Honos |
| 21 | - Lucaria |
| 23 | - Neptunalia |
| 25 | - Festival of Furrinalia |
| 30 | - Festival for Fortuna Huiusque Diei |
| August | |
| 1 | - KALENDS
- Festival for Victoria - Feast of Spes |
| 5 | - Sacrifice Day for Salus |
| 7 | - NONES |
| 8 | - Festival for Venus (sunset-sunset) |
| 9 | - Festival for Sol |
| 12 | - Lychnapsia
- Festival for Venus Victrix - Festival for Hercules Invictus begins |
| 13 | - Lesser Festival of Flora
- Nemoralia - Festival for Hercules Invictus ends |
| 14 | - Festival for Fortuna Equestris |
| 15 | - IDES
- Festival of Vesta |
| 17 | - Portunalia
- Festival of Diana |
| 19 | - Vinalia Rustica |
| 21 | - Consualia
- Heraclia |
| 23 | - Festival of Vertumnalia
- Vulcanalia |
| 24 | - Festival of Mania
- Festival for Luna |
| 25 | - Opiconsivia |
| 27 | - Day sacred to Consus
- Volturnalia |
| 28 | - Festival for Luna
- Festival for Sol |
| 30 | - Festival of Charisteria |
| September | |
| 1 | - KALENDS
- Festival of Juno Regina - Festival of Jupiter Liber |
| 4 | - Ludi Romani begin |
| 5 | - NONES
- Festival for Jupiter Stator |
| 13 | - IDES
- Epulum Iovis - Festival of Lectisternia |
| 19 | - Ludi Romani end |
| 26 | - Festival for Venus Genetrix |
| 30 | - Meditrinalia |
| October | |
| 1 | -KALENDS
- Day sacred to Fides - Festival of Juno Sororia |
| 3 | - Festival of Bacchus |
| 4 | - Ieiunium Cereris |
| 5 | - Festival of Mania |
| 7 | - NONES
- Day sacred to Victoria - Festival for Juno Cutitis - Festival for Jupiter Fulgor |
| 9 | - Festival for Fausta Felicitas
- Festival for Venus |
| 10 | - Festival for Juno Moneta |
| 11 | - Vinalia
- Meditrinalia |
| 12 | - Day sacred to Fortuna Redux |
| 13 | - Festival of Fontinalia |
| 14 | - Festival for the Penates |
| 15 | - IDES
- Winter's Day - Harvest Festival of Mars - Ludi Capitolini |
| 19 | - Armilustrium |
| November | |
| 1 | -KALENDS
- Pomonia |
| 4 | - Ludi Plebeii begin |
| 5 | - NONES |
| 8 | - Festival of the Mania |
| 13 | - IDES
- Festival of Feronia, Juno, Minerva, and Jupiter - Festival for Fortuna Primigenia - Epulum Iovis |
| 17 | - Ludi Plebeii end |
| 25 | - Day sacred to Proserpina |
| 29 | - Festival of Saturnia |
| December | |
| 1 | - KALENDS
- Festival for Neptune - Festival for Pietas |
| 3 | - Festival for Bona Dea |
| 4 | - Festival for Minerva |
| 5 | - NONES
- Faunalia |
| 8 | - Festival for Tiberinus |
| 10 | - Festival of Lux Mundi |
| 11 | - Septimontia
- Festival for Diva Palatua |
| 12 | - Consualia |
| 13 | - IDES
- Festival for Tellus |
| 15 | - Consualia |
| 16 | - Festival of Sapientia |
| 17 | - Festival of Saturnalia begins |
| 18 | - Eponalia |
| 19 | - Opalia
- Festival for Juventas |
| 21 | - Divalia
~ Bruma (the winter solstice) |
| 22 | - Day Sacred to the Lares |
| 23 | - Larentalia |
| 24 | - Festival of Saturnalia ends |
| 25 | - Dies Natalis Invicti Solis (Birthday of the Invincible Sun God) |
Most of the information on this page comes from these books:
Adkins, Lesley & Roy A. Dictionary of Roman Religion. Oxford University Press: New York, 1996.
Bernstein, Frances. Classical Living: Reconnecting with the Rituals of Ancient Rome. Harper San Francisco: New York, 2000.
Pennick, Nigel. The Pagan Book of Days. Destiny Books: Rochester, VT, 1992.