Today it is Dies Nefastus Publicus – the day reserved for religious holidays. They are almost like Dies NEFASTI, but administrative activities must not be performed during them. It is not recommended to perform any kind of physical labor. So, if you want to hang out with your fellow-Romans – don’t talk about serious matters – just gather together and praise a God or a Goddess to whom this specific day is dedicated. Oh! And don’t forget to give your slaves a day off!
It is the 3d day before Idus Ianuariae.
It is the C nundial day, Nundinae – the market day this year.
Today Roman celebrate:
Carmentalia – is the two feast days (11 January and 15 January) of the Roman goddess Carmenta. She had her temple atop the Capitoline Hill. Carmenta was invoked init as Postvorta and Antevorta, epithets which had reference to her power of looking back into the past and forward into the future. The festival was chiefly observed by women.
Iuturnalia – the festival dedicated to Juturna who is an ancient Latin deity of fountains, who in some myths was turned by Jupiter into a water nymph – a Naiad – and given by him a sacred well in Lavinium, Latium, as well as another one near the temple to Vesta in the Forum Romanum. The pool next to the second well was called Lacus Juturnae. A local water nymph or river-god generally presides over a single body of water, but Juturna has broader powers which probably reflect her original importance in Latium.
