Anthesteria is a three-day festival that celebrates the springtime, the maturing of stored wine, and the spirits of the dead. It is one of the four Athenian festivals held in honor of Dionysus. The third day of this festival is known as Khytrai (Chytroi) or the Day of the Pots. This day is a celebration of the dead. Fruit was offered to Hermes Chthonios (Hermes of the Underworld), and pots containing traditional offerings such as cooked grains were left out for the spirits and ancestors. Today is the Day of the Pots, so it’s the perfect time to discuss the practice of leaving offerings for the dead!
An offering is a gift that is presented to deities, divinities, or spirits to show gratitude, pay respects, or request assistance. These offerings nourish our connection to the beings that they go to. Think of it like this: when you invite someone over to your house, do you make sure that you have snacks that they can eat? Do you make sure that they will have a place to sit? You want to be a good host so your guest will enjoy their time, and want to come back! Leaving offerings is like that. By gifting the being with something that fuels them, you acknowledge their importance in the world, and you carve out a space where they can come and receive something that is specifically for them. That respect and connection create the foundation of good spirit communication and connection.
In Ancient Greece, offerings were central to relationships with the gods, spirits, and the dead. The distinction between “spirits” and “the dead” is important here because spirits are not always human in nature. We acknowledge that, just as Ancient Greece did. Household worship involved leaving offerings, as did public ritual. Common practices included throwing parts of your meal into a hearthfire for Hestia, burning incense on a communal altar, or saying a prayer to spirits as you passed their shrine. Offerings were not limited to physical objects like food; they often consisted of acts done for the being in question. Keeping shrines clean, tending to the needs of the household, and conducting certain rites were all seen as offerings to the entities they were devoted to. At the center of this practice was a very important concept: offerings were part of a daily or weekly routine. In many cases, consistency mattered more than extravagance, because a lapse in a routine could be seen as disrespectful to the being that the routine is dedicated to. Disrespect breaks trust and damages relationships. These regular and small offerings helped maintain good connections. In a society where mutual goodwill was central, those connections could be seen as the difference between a peaceful life and a life full of turmoil.
How and when you leave offerings depends on who is receiving them. Offerings to the gods and offerings to the dead had similarities, but the biggest difference was the “direction” of the offering. Offerings to the gods, most commonly the Olympians, were offered upwards. Altars were elevated in some way, either in their construction or their location (like on a mountain or cliff face). If libations were poured, they were poured onto the altar or left upon it. Incense was a common offering because its smoke extended upwards towards the heavens, and acted as a sign that the gods received the offering. If there was a sacrifice involved, it was common for it to be a “shared sacrifice.” Participants in the offering ritual offered part of the sacrifice to the gods, and then consumed the remains.
Offerings to the dead were generally directed downwards into the earth. Libations were often poured directly onto gravestones or into the dirt where the grave was located. Physical offerings were deposited into pits that were dug into the earth. Most of the time, offerings were left behind in their entirety, meaning that none of them were consumed by participants. These offerings were commonly associated with funerary rites, death anniversaries, and festivals honoring the dead. This timing honored the memory of the person who passed, and solidified a practice where the dead would be remembered, instead of forgotten. A common thread that ties these practices together is the purpose and the consistency. Ancient Greeks put special emphasis on the cultivation and maintenance of these spiritual connections. If you want to get into this practice, it can be helpful to think about how and why they did the things they did.
But how should I leave offerings for the spirits of the dead in the modern day? The first question that you need to ask yourself is, “Who am I honoring?” In Ancient Greek society, the answer that comes to mind is “departed family members.” That is the answer that you may come to when you ask yourself. The next question to ask yourself involves your intention. Why do you want to leave offerings for them? Do you wish to communicate with them? Do you want to show them your gratitude? Answering these questions can help guide your practice. The connection that you have to the work will help you maintain consistency, leading to the successful relationship that you would like to see with the spirits that you leave offerings for. The offerings left for spirits during Anthesteria were left specifically for human spirits, so that will be our main focus.
As a disclaimer, there are so many popular practitioners who claim that everyone needs to work with their ancestors to have a “legitimate” practice, but this is not true. Many families carry baggage, and that baggage can stretch far into our family’s roots. If this is your story, I see you, and I understand. Always start where you are comfortable and work your way up. If you do not wish to speak to your departed family members, know that you are never required to. There are tons of other types of spirits that you can leave offerings for. There are “collective ancestors” that many choose to leave offerings for. These human spirits were seen as giants in the communities they were born in or lived in. Maybe they fought for civil rights for your community, or they invented something that your family can’t live without. Or maybe your collective ancestor was an “Auntie” that everyone in your neighborhood had, but wasn’t actually anyone’s aunt. You don’t have to be related to someone to make a big difference in someone’s life. If there’s a person like that you wish to reach out to, I think that would be a great start if ancestor work isn’t your cup of tea.
Once you determine your reasons for leaving offerings, start small. The simplest offering that you can leave for spirits is a glass of water. You can either pour it directly into the earth as a libation, or you can set it aside in a space that you dedicate to the spirit or spirits you are leaving offerings for. If you would like to leave a more substantial offering, common offerings include bread, sweets (cakes, cookies, etc.), wine, candles, or a small portion of a meal. If you need something easier, you can always offer them a prayer. That prayer can be spoken aloud, held in your mind, or even come in the form of the tears you cry. Offerings can take any form you need them to, as long as they are consistent, respectful, and genuine.
As you leave the offering, speak to the spirit directly. You do not need to know their name to call upon them. Many individuals do not have the luxury of knowing the names of the spirits tied to their bloodline. For practitioners of color specifically, it’s a common fact that can often feel isolating. If this is your story, just know that you are not alone. I’m the descendant of Africans who were brought to this country forcefully, enslaved, and brutalized. I will never know the names of all of my people, but that will never stop me from communing with them. If your story echoes mine, I’ve got your back, and you will get through this. When you seek to call upon a spirit you are tied to with a name you do not know, you may use the phrase “to my benevolent ancestors, both known and unknown.” You call upon your bloodline and your family connections, and that bond is strong enough to call them forward to you. If you wish to call upon collective ancestors, you may use the name that they went by in life and call upon the connection that your chosen community has to them. Whenever you speak to any spirit, remember to speak clearly and naturally. When you speak, make sure your tone is respectful. You may express your gratitude to them, you can share updates about your life, or you can simply listen to them as you leave your offering. Do what feels the most natural, let anything you do come from the heart. This builds trust, and trust is the foundation of strong spiritual communication.
When you come towards the end of the time that you set aside for leaving offerings, declare what you will do with the offerings. If you intend to move it to a secondary location, say that. If you wish to leave your offering out for a specific number of days before disposing of it in the earth, tell them. Part of leaving offerings is establishing what happens between offerings. You don’t want to catch the spirits off guard, and you want them to know where to find the offerings. It is better to be clear about your intentions; you don’t want to leave any chance for miscommunication to take place. Once you’re finished, thank the spirits that you’re leaving the offerings for, and return to your life! Congratulations, you just left your first offering!
Once you’ve officially left your first offering, it’s time to figure out how often you’re able to leave offerings. If you want this to be a once-in-a-while or a one-time event, that’s completely fine! If you’re looking to establish a practice, then remember to set that intention. Consistency matters more than scale, and you don’t have to shoot for a perceived expectation that is unrealistic for you! Many new practitioners choose to leave offerings once a week, or once a month on a specific day. If you don’t think you can leave a daily or weekly offering, don’t. The spirits you leave offerings for will understand, and they will adapt to the routine you set. Choosing more infrequent dates and times does not make you any less of a spirit worker; it just means you understand your abilities and your limits. That’s more important than trying to maintain a flashy practice that you cannot sustain. Know yourself.
Beginning a practice of offering to the spirits of the dead doesn’t require elaborate rituals or perfect invocations. In Ancient Greece, simplicity was enough to form a meaningful relationship with the spirits that surround you. Their offerings were regularly placed and rooted in remembrance and respect. During festivals such as Anthesteria, these practices became communal and visible. The jars were opened, the libations were poured, and the spirits of the dead were welcomed forward and treated with respect. The presence of these spirits wasn’t treated as a spectacle, but as a natural part of the year. Keeping this example in mind can help you ground your practice in the modern day. Begin simply, and focus on consistency. Approach spirits with respect, not fear. Eventually, what started as a simple offering will turn into a sacred connection that you will be able to feel during festivals like Anthesteria.
Sanctuary of the Crossroads 
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