honorthegods:Mosaic depicting a skeleton Vesuvius area, 1st Century B.C.E., Museo Archeologico Nazi
honorthegods:Mosaic depicting a skeleton Vesuvius area, 1st Century B.C.E., Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, © Fotografica Foglia Image source: XToday, May 9, is the first day of the Lemuralia, a festival to appease the restless dead. It is a domestic observance, rather than a public rite. The temples were closed, and marriages were prohibited during this period. The Lemures are the roaming spirits of those who have no family or friends to perform the customary rites for them. These are not one’s Lares, though, and one does not wish to encourage them to linger at one’s domus (home). Therefore, a bowl of water and some scraps of food, with flour, salt, olive oil, and perhaps a coin of small value to pay the ferryman may be left for them outdoors or, better yet, at a crossroads. A prayer is offered for them to peacefully continue their journey to the next world.The home may be cleaned and purified during this festival, and one’s own Lares should be shown special honor, perhaps with offerings of candlelight, flowers, or morsels from your own evening meal.Traditionally, the head of the household arises at midnight and makes the mano fico sign (the thumb between the first and second fingers of the closed hand). Wearing unknotted clothing, the head of the household then walks through the abode barefoot, and tosses or spits nine black beans over their shoulder. Then, this formula is repeated nine times: Haec ego mitto; his redimo meque meosque fabis. (“These I cast; with these beans I redeem me and mine.”) The rest of the household then clash metal pots while shouting nine times: Manes exite paterni! (“Ghosts of our ancestors, be gone!”) -- source link