You also mentioned offerings made each month during the night of a new moon. This might be in reference to the Athenians who paid regular homage to Hekate through a monthly ritual known as the deipnon. The term “deipnon” translates to “evening meal,” signifying the day’s final meal. Food offerings were set out for Hekate and the restless departed during this ceremony. The purpose of this gesture was twofold: it served to cleanse the household, expiating any wrongdoings committed by its members, while also seeking Hekate’s favour and appeasing the spirits residing under her patronage. These meals were typically arranged at crossroads or shrines dedicated to Hekate, positioned at the entrances to homes.
Playwright Aristophanes humorously commented on these offerings, stating, “Ask Hekate whether it is better to be rich or starving; she will tell you that the rich send her a meal every month and that the poor make it disappear before it is even served.” Presumably, the less fortunate individuals would consume the food left out for the goddess, a practice aligned with Hekate’s association with those living on the fringes of society.
The deipnon ritual took place on the last day of the Athenian calendar, and some contemporary devotees have adopted it as a monthly practice to honour Hekate. However, it’s essential to recognise that the Attic, or Athenian calendar, differed from the calendars of neighbouring city-states. Each Greek city-state had its unique calendar system for religious observances and civic activities, making equating Ancient Greek dates with modern ones challenging. In the Attic calendar, the deipnon marked the conclusion of their monthly lunar cycle and coincided with the new moon phase.