Jan. 21 was World Religion Day, so let’s talk about one of the world’s newest (but oldest) legal religions, Hellenic (Greek) Polytheism. It is actually a religion that dates back thousands of years, but was banned in 390 AD when Christianity became the official religion and all pagan festivals, including the Olympics, were banned.

Greek Polytheism

The ancient Greeks had a polytheistic religion, which means they believed in multiple gods and goddesses. Greek religion is not the same as Greek mythology, which is concerned with traditional tales, though the two are closely interlinked. The most striking characteristic of Greek religion was the belief in a multiplicity of anthropomorphic deities under one supreme god. Although its origins may be traced to the remotest eras, Greek religion in its developed form lasted more than a thousand years, from the time of Homer (probably 9th or 8th century BCE) to the reign of the emperor Julian (4th century CE).

Official Recognition

In 2017, Greece officially recognized the ancient Greek religion as an official religion again, over 1,600 years after it had been banned. The Greek government recognized it as an “established religion” and granted it legal status, allowing worshipers to perform religious rites and receive religious education. The decision was made after a group of Greeks filed a lawsuit in 2016, arguing that the Greek state violated their religious freedom by not recognizing the ancient Greek religion as a legitimate faith.

Just like the Olympics were once banned but returned after 1,500 years, so has the religion that the original Olympic athletes believed in. There is an article here about Hellenism being legalized if you want to read more about that. If you think about it, this small event is a huge deal for history, to think that an ancient religion has now become legal again.

The ancient Greek religion has been experiencing a revival in recent years, with many people interested in exploring the religion’s rich history and mythology. The revival has been fueled by a growing interest in paganism and the occult, as well as a desire to reconnect with the country’s ancient past. Today, there are several organizations dedicated to the study and practice of the ancient Greek religion, including the Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes, which is the official state-recognized organization for the religion.

Hellenismos: Practicing Greek Polytheism Today (seen below), explains how Greek Polytheism works, the moon calendar it follows, and which gods are praised on what days.