▁December , ▁at ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁the ▁current ▁senior ▁annual ▁Roman ▁magistr ate ▁cum ▁imper io , ▁whether ▁cons ul ▁or ▁pra et or . ▁It ▁was ▁hosted ▁by ▁the ▁magistr ate ' s ▁wife ▁and ▁attended ▁by ▁respect able ▁mat rons ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁el ite . ▁This ▁winter ▁festival ▁is ▁not ▁marked ▁on ▁any ▁known ▁religious ▁calendar ▁but ▁was ▁dedicated ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁interest ▁and ▁super vised ▁by ▁the ▁V est als , ▁and ▁therefore ▁must ▁be ▁considered ▁official . ▁Short ly ▁after ▁ 6 2 ▁BC , ▁Cic ero ▁presents ▁it ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁very ▁few ▁law ful ▁no ct urn al ▁festiv als ▁allowed ▁to ▁women , ▁privile ged ▁to ▁those ▁of ▁arist ocr atic ▁class , ▁and ▁co eval ▁with ▁Rome ' s ▁earliest ▁history . ▁ ▁Festival ▁r ites ▁ ▁The ▁house ▁was ▁rit ually ▁cle ans ed ▁of ▁all ▁male ▁persons ▁and ▁pres ences , ▁even ▁male ▁animals ▁and ▁male ▁portrait ure . ▁Then ▁the ▁magistr ate ' s ▁wife ▁and ▁her ▁assist ants ▁made ▁bow ers ▁of ▁v ine - le aves , ▁and ▁decor ated ▁the ▁house ' s ▁ban quet ing ▁hall ▁with ▁" all ▁manner ▁of ▁growing ▁and ▁blo oming ▁plants " ▁except ▁for ▁my rt le , ▁whose ▁presence ▁and ▁naming ▁were ▁express ly ▁forb idden . ▁A ▁ban quet ▁table ▁was ▁prepared , ▁with ▁a ▁c ouch ▁( p ul vin ar ) ▁for ▁the ▁god dess ▁and ▁the ▁image ▁of ▁a ▁s nake . ▁The ▁V est als ▁brought