<P> The Dionysia (/ daɪəˈnaɪsiə /) was a large festival in ancient Athens in honor of the god Dionysus, the central events of which were the theatrical performances of dramatic tragedies and, from 487 BC, comedies . It was the second-most important festival after the Panathenaia . The Dionysia actually consisted of two related festivals, the Rural Dionysia and the City Dionysia, which took place in different parts of the year . They were also an essential part of the Dionysian Mysteries . </P> <P> The Dionysia was originally a rural festival in Eleutherae, Attica (Dionysia ta kat' agrous--Διονύσια τὰ κατ' ἀγρούς), probably celebrating the cultivation of vines . It was probably a very ancient festival, perhaps not originally associated with Dionysus . This "rural Dionysia" was held during the winter, in the month of Poseideon (the month straddling the winter solstice, i.e., Dec. - Jan .). The central event was the pompe (πομπή), the procession, in which phalloi (φαλλοί) were carried by phallophoroi (φαλλοφόροι). Also participating in the pompe were kanephoroi (κανηφόροι--young girls carrying baskets), obeliaphoroi (ὀβελιαφόροι--who carried long loaves of bread), skaphephoroi (σκαφηφόροι--who carried other offerings), hydriaphoroi (ὑδριαφόροι--who carried jars of water), and askophoroi (ἀσκοφόροι--who carried jars of wine). </P>

The dionysia was a religious festival honoring which greek god