We are in the midst of the Dog Days of Summer, ruled by Sirius, the Dog Star. These are traditionally considered the hottest days of the year here in the Northern Hemisphere––a long stream of them that began when July was new. The Dog Days are not over until we get past August 15.
It is here, about halfway through those Dog Days, that the Romans placed the Feast of Neptunalia and Salacia, honoring Neptune, the sea god, and his wife Salacia, goddess of the salty sea. In Rome, the holiday was spent pretty much just as we today would spend a typical summer holiday: by the sea. Water and wine were important aspects of the celebration as well as general merrymaking. The goal was simple: Escape the persistent heat of summer.
If you are on holiday yourself during these Dog Days of Summer, and particularly if it is today, be sure to raise your glass (whether it contain water or wine) to Neptune and Salacia. Toast the sea, honor water and all it means to us.
Image: Triumph of Neptune Standing on a Chariot Pulled by Two Sea Horses. Mosaïque d’Hadrumète (Sousse), mosaic, mid-third century AD. Musée archéologique de Sousse.
When in Rome…
Being near the sea and familal merrymaking in this week past…highly recommended. Just breathing that iodine-laden air does wonders, no matter the temperature.
Indeed I shall, in a desert that was once covered by ocean…