Apellai

Apellai (Greek: ἀπέλλαι), was a three-day family-festival of the Northwest Greeks similar with the Ionic Apaturia, which was dedicated to Apollo (Doric form:Ἀπέλλων). The fest was spread in Greece by the Dorians as it is proved by the use of the month Apellaios (Ἀπελλαῖος or Ἀπελλαιών in Ionic Tenos).

There is evidence for this festival in Epidavros, Olous, Kalchedon, "Heracleia" at Siris, Tauromenion, Chaleion, Lamia, Oite, Tolophon, Delphi and also in Ancient Macedonia. The brotherhood, the phratry controlled the access to civic rights. The three-day family-festival included initiation ceremonies, not concerning the state. The father introduced his young child, then again as grown-up youth (kouros), and the husband his wife after the marriage. The corresponding offerings were paideia (child), apellaia (kouros) and gamela (marriage, Greek: γάμος gamos).

When a pubescent was received into the body of grown men, as a grown Kouros (male youth) he became ἀπελλάξ (apellax "sharer in secret rites") and he could enter the apellai. The apellaia were the offerings made at the initiation of the young men at a meeting of a family group.Apellaion is the offering of a part of the hair to the god, and corresponds to the Koureion of the Apaturia.Apellaios is the month of these rites, and Apellon is the "megistos kouros" (the great Kouros). It is almost sure that the fest belonged originally to Apollo, because his name is used in the oaths only near Poseidon Phratrios and Zeus Patroοs. In Athens a common epithet of Apollo as family-god is "Apollo Patroos".