Partners in Possibility

The fall holiday known as the Blessing of the Beasts (or, in Meletis, the Therimakarion) celebrates humans’ partnership with domestic animals. The horses and oxen that pull plows, the cats that guard the granaries, and the roosters that wake families and call them to their work are given blessings, special treats, and a day of rest. Stories say that strays found on this day are servants of Karametra and destined for great things. Others claim that on this day domestic animals can speak—that is, if they have anything they care to say to their supposed owners.