Matralia
The Matralia was a festival celebrated on 11th June in honor of Mater Matuta, the goddess of motherhood and childbirth. The festival was exclusively for single women or women in their first marriage.
Date: 11th June
Deity: Mater Matuta
Observances: Prayers, beating of a slave, yellow cakes
During the Matralia, women would offer prayers for their nephews and nieces and crown the statue of Mater Matuta with garlands. A unique aspect of the festival was the participation of a singular female slave, who was beaten and driven from the area by the freeborn women.
Ovid, in his Fasti, provides a detailed description of the Matralia. He mentions the offering of yellow cakes to Mater Matuta and the location of her temple near the Forum Boarium. Ovid also notes that female slaves were excluded from the festival, suggesting that the Matralia was a celebration for freeborn women only.
Digital Maps of the Ancient World 