libations

Libations are ritual offerings that involve pouring liquid as a form of tribute to deities, spirits, ancestors, or sacred forces. In many traditions, the act is performed during prayers, festivals, sacrifices, or rites of remembrance. The liquid is typically wine, water, milk, oil, or beer, though local customs may specify other fluids. The poured liquid is usually directed to the ground, an altar, or a sacred object, sometimes poured into rivers, wells, or fires, as a symbol of reciprocity between the human and divine realms.

The word libation comes from Latin libatio, related to libare, to pour as an offering. In classical antiquity, Greek and Roman rituals commonly used wine as the primary libation, but other liquids were offered depending on the deity or purpose. Archaeological and textual evidence shows libations played a central role in daily worship, state ceremonies, and funerary rites. Similar practices occurred across the ancient and traditional world, including Africa, the Near East, South Asia, and East Asia, each with its own vessels and conventions.

Today, the term is also used in secular contexts to describe a toast or the ceremonial pouring of a drink in memory of a person or event. In many modern religious communities, libations remain an element of ritual practice, including traditions that honor ancestors, deities, or spirits. While the specifics vary, the underlying idea is a symbolic offering that acknowledges dependence, gratitude, and reciprocity between humans and the sacred or commemorated.