Panathenaia
Religious festivals were often held in ancient Greece to celebrate the gods and goddesses. A popular festival held in Athens to honour the Greek Goddess Athena was called the Panathenaia. People of all social groups of Athens, with the exception of slaves, would come together every four years to take part in this festival that lasted for multiple days. It is believed that the festival was meant to commemorate Athena’s birth, as it may have been held on Athena’s birthday. One of the main events at the festival was that the priests of Athens would present the famous statue of Athena in the Parthenon with a new dress, which was called peplos in Greek. The Panathenaic Athletic Games were also a noteworthy part of the festival. The Panathenaic Athletic Games were a series of athletic competitions that would be played throughout the festival. Athena was known for being a very athletic woman with great strength in battle, so it is not surprising that her festival included competitions of strength and finesse.
Arrephoria
A lesser known festival that honoured Athena was the Arrephoria. Also held in Athens, the festival was much shorter and less exciting than the Panathenaia. The festival entailed two young girls from the upper class walking from the Parthenon to the sanctuary of the goddess Aphrodite. Once the two girls reached the sanctuary, they would leave various unknown items. The small ritual was meant to represent the unity of two powerful goddesses.