Ancient devotees of the greek goddess Hecate celebrated with elaborate feasts and festivals. If you’re a devotee today, consider hosting a special supper on Hecate Night. This is an elegant, sacred meal dedicated to the Greek Goddess of the Crossroads. With traditional foods and good witchy friends, who wouldn’t want to join this dinner party?

Ancient Hecate Feasts

The ancient Greeks loved to party. And what better reason to party than to celebrate and honor a beloved deity? Hecate was once a widely-worshiped goddess, with her main cults located on Eleusis and Samothrake Island. Elaborate feasts and festivals were thrown every year in her name. But when her followers weren’t in a temple, they were meeting her at the crossroads with a Special Hecate Supper.

Supper At The Crossroads

Picture this. It’s the Dark Moon. The night is quiet, dark and warm. You’re carrying a lantern, a basket of offerings, a bottle of wine and a steaming hot loaf of garlic bread. Your friends, also your coven-mates, are meeting at the crossroads deep in the woods behind the old town cemetery. Tonight is the night to celebrate your matron goddess Hecate. You round the corner and see other bouncing lantern lights glowing in the darkness ahead.

As you walk closer, a long wooden table with benches is illuminated with candlelight. There’s laughter and anticipation in the air. You take a seat beside your best friend and surrounded by your coven. As you raise a toast in Hecate’s name, a dog howls in the distance. This is Hecate affirming her presence. You all feast on Hecate’s supper and enjoy one another’s company in the wild wood. Wine, homemade bread, fish, and fruit is shared among you. After the feast is over, the remnants are given as an offering and left at the crossroads. You don’t look back.

How to Host a Hecate Supper

Hecate Night is traditionally held on November 16th. This is the night she haunts the crossroads with her hounds. November 16th is also a night to initiate oneself or others under Hecate. Her feast day is January 31st; however, Samhain and the nights of the Dark Moon are also appropriate. Other days honoring Hecate in Greece include August 13th (a day offerings are left at the crossroads to appease Hecate’s wild stormy side).

Hecate Night: The Ambience

Whether you host supper inside or out, the ambience should be dark. Low lighting, candlelight is best. Lanterns, hurricane lamps, and oil lamps set the mood. Plates and napkins should be of dark colors: black, maroon, and/or shades of purple. Hecate particularly loves red and black. Incorporate these colors into the tablecloth, centerpiece, and invitations. Give every guest a skeleton key as a token to remember Hecate Night (keys are one of her symbols).

Flowers like dark red roses or black hollyhocks. A moon and stars motif would be perfect, too! It’s best to keep the dinner as quiet as possible – play classical piano or violin music on low. Place a statue or representation of Hecate at the head of the table. If you can host Hecate Night Supper at the crossroads, even better!

Hecate Night: The Supper Menu

Traditionally, Hecate loves garlic, fish, honey, eggs, cheese, mushrooms, cake and wine. Consider using our menu or building your own using each of Hecate’s traditional offerings mentioned above. Hecate should be set a place at the table and left offerings after the dinner is done (see below for more info). Alternatively, instead of cooking everything yourself, ask your friends to bring one dish or beverage as part of the offering.

As you’re setting the table OR as your guests arrive, invoke Hecate’s presence by inviting her to join for supper. Let her know she is the reason for the feast.

To Drink:

• Red wine: Cabernet or Merlot (wine was sacred to the ancient Greeks and was no doubt given as an offering to Hecate)
• Mead: honey-wine isn’t traditional to Greece, but Hecate loves honey so this drink is appropriate
• Water

Pour a glass for Hecate first. Then clink glasses together and toast Hecate’s name before partaking in the wine, mead or water! Clinking glasses scares off the “spirits” and toasting Hecate is traditional.

Appetizers:

• Dolmas: Stuffed Grape Leaves
• Mydia: red mussels steamed in red wine and herb sauce
• Charcuterie Board: including cheeses, meats, hard-boiled eggs, honey, jams, apricots, olives, etc.

Remember to serve Hecate first before the rest of your dinner party. Out of the utmost respect for the goddess.

Hecate Supper:

• Red Mullet in Caper Sauce: red mullet is sacred to Hecate and traditional at Hecate Night Suppers
• Marinated Mushrooms: mushrooms are also traditional to Hecate
• Homemade Rosemary Garlic Bread with
• Mediterranean Herb Butter Spread

Dessert:

• Greek Honey Cake
• Fruit: include pomegranates, figs, navel oranges, apples and peaches.

During Hecate Night, ask each individual to share their thoughts and experiences with the Goddess of the Crossroads. Read aloud poems and myths that honor Hecate. Sing songs. You might even consider allowing party guests to bring their canine friends and providing doggie treats. This would please Hecate immensely!

Ending Hecate Night With Traditional Offerings

If you hosted Hecate Night at the crossroads, it’s traditional to leave the remnants for the goddess and her hounds. Two things you MUST do:

1. don’t leave anything at the crossroads that’s not perishable (no plates, cups, cutlery, etc. unless it’s perishable!)
2. once you leave the offering at the crossroads, do NOT turn around and look back!

More on Hecate:

• Hecate: 13 Ways to Work With the Goddess of Witchcraft
• A SECRET Tea Recipe to Honor Hecate (Members Only)