Because this Mesopotamian calendar acts as a supplement to our main Kemetic Reform calendar, which officially starts on July 18th, it begins three months into the Standard Babylonian Year and will end three months into the next liturgical year. Such variations aside, it should present a fairly general idea of regular observances in Mesopotamian – which includes Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian – Pagan practice.
Each month begins with the first lunar crescent. Here, calculated dates (as opposed to estimated sightings) are used. Standard Babylonian month names and major holidays, such as theAkitu Festivals and the Feast of Dumuzi, are given in bold print. In ancient times, major lunar phases marked regular observances that were held in temples; today, simple readings of prayers or offerings can be performed by an individual on the quarter phases. On the eighteenth day of each month, the sun god Utu (Akkadian Shamash) was honored with a prayer and libation.
In the ancient Syrian city of Mari, the sixteenth day of each month seems to have marked a “Hunt” of the goddess Ishtar. How this was honored remains unknown, but simple prayers and offerings could certainly suffice. Here, we are extrapolating the idea of the “Hunt” to include the West Semitic goddess Anat, who shared attributes with Ishtar and could be similarly honored. (Anat came to be venerated in New Kingdom Egypt as well, so Her inclusion fits comfortably into our overall theme.)
Full moons often, but not always, marked the occasion of a Sizkur-Gula or “Great Offering” ritual. The last three days of the month, concluding with the new moon, marked the time when ancestral spirits and departed loved ones were honored with a kispum (or 'kispu') ritual in the home. Surviving kispum prayers invoke Nanna (Akkadian Suen or Sin) to act on behalf of the dead, but personal deities can also be addressed. The kispum does not have to be performed on all three days; once during that time frame is sufficient.
Full rituals and prayers for all of these observances can be found in my newest book, In Praise of Ishtar: Modern-Day Worship of the Ancient Goddess. Inanna-zami - Inanna be praised!
July 2nd (Wednesday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
July 6th (Sunday) – Babylonian Summer Solstice; honor the Sisters of the Esagila and Ezida
July 10th (Thursday) – Full Moon; read shu-ila (“hand-raising”) prayers
July 11th (Friday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
July 13th (Sunday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
July 17th (Thursday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
July 22nd through 24th (Tuesday-Thursday) – Feast of Dumuzi
July 22nd (Tuesday) – Day of Wailing; read lamentations at sunset
July 23rd (Wednesday) – Day of Redemption; perform healing or cleansing rites
July 24th (Thursday) – Day of Dumuzi; host elunum (memorial) feast as part of kispum
August 1st (Friday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
August 4th (Monday) – Day of erum; Wailing (er-gula) for Ishtar begins at sundown
August 5th (Tuesday) – Day of tirum (“return”) for Ishtar; offer prayers
August 9th (Saturday) – Full Moon; Feast of Abu (Sumerian “Feast of Ghosts”); Hunt of Ishtar and Anat
August 11th (Monday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
August 16th (Saturday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
August 21st-23rd (Thursday-Saturday) – Maqlu (fire cleansing) rites; days for monthly kispum
August 28th (Thursday) – Ishtar (Inanna) visits Ninlil
August 30th (Saturday) – Ishtar (Inanna) visits Nanna/Suen
August 31st (Sunday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
September 7th (Sunday) – Full Moon; Feast of Kin-Inanna; purification for Ishtar and other Goddesses; honor historical en-priestesses
September 8th (Monday) – Akitu Feast of Ishtar of Arbela; Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
September 10th (Wednesday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
September 14th (Sunday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
September 19th-21st (Friday-Sunday) – days for monthly kispum
September 28th (Sunday) – Day of Sebut Sebim (“Seventh of the Seventh”); purification rites
September 29th (Monday)– First Quarter; Fall Akitu begins
October 4th or 5th (Saturday or Sunday) – weekend observance for Fall Akitu
October 6th (Monday) – Full Moon; read shu-ila (“hand-raising”) prayers
October 7th (Tuesday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
October 9th (Thursday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
October 13th (Monday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
October 18th (Saturday) – Elunum Feast for the Sacred Mound and the Ancestors of Enlil
October 19th-21st (Sunday-Tuesday) – days for monthly kispum
October 29th (Wednesday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
November 5th (Wednesday) – Full Moon; perform Sizkur-Gula rites
November 6th (Thursday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
November 8th (Saturday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
November 12th (Wednesday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
November 18th-20th (Tuesday-Thursday) – days for monthly kispum
November 23rd (Sunday) – Ishtar wears the robes of Marduk
November 28th (Friday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
November 29th or 30th (Saturday or Sunday) – Brazier Festival
December 4th (Thursday) – Full Moon; perform nabru divinations
December 6th (Saturday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
December 8th (Monday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
December 11th (Thursday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
December 17th-19th (Wdnesday-Friday) – days for monthly kispum
December 22nd (Monday) – Babylonian Winter Solstice; honor the Sisters of the Ezida and Esagila
December 27th (Saturday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
January 1st (Thursday) – Happy 2026!
January 3rd (Saturday) – Full Moon; observe Awakening of Ishtar or Fire Festival, perform nabru-divinations
January 4th (Sunday) – Awakening of Ishtar; Fire Festival of Uruk; Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
January 6th (Tuesday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
January 10th (Saturday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
January 11th (Sunday) – Feast of the Boat of Heaven
January 16th-18th (Friday-Sunday) – days for monthly kispum
January 25th (Sunday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
February 1st (Sunday) – Full Moon; Feast of the Early Grass; honor personal Goddesses
February 3rd (Tuesday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
February 5th (Thursday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
February 9th (Monday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
February 15th-17th (Sunday-Tuesday) – days for monthly kispum
February 24th (Tuesday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
March 3rd (Tuesday) – Full Moon; read shu-ila (hand-raising) prayers
March 5th (Thursday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
March 7th (Saturday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
March 11th (Wednesday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
March 16th-18th (Monday-Wednesday) – days for monthly kispum
March 25th (Wednesday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
April 1st (Wednesday) – Full Moon; read shu-ila (hand-raising) prayers, host buru-mash (harvest) feast
April 3rd (Friday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
April 5th (Sunday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
April 9th (Thursday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
April 15th-17th (Wednesday-Friday) – days for monthly kispum
April 23rd (Thursday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
April 25th -26th (Saturday-Sunday) – Observe Spring Akitu ritual
May 1st (Friday) – Full Moon; perform Sizkur-Gula or Enthronement Rites
May 3rd (Sunday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
May 5th (Tuesday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
May 9th (Saturday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
May 14th-16th (Thursday-Saturday) – days for monthly kispum
May 23rd (Saturday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
May 31st (Sunday) – Full Moon; read shu-ila (“hand-raising”) prayers, perform Sizkur-Gula rites
June 1st (Monday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
June 3rd (Wednesday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
June 6th (Saturday) – Gusisu Feast for Ninurta; perform divinations, offer beer to Ishtar
June 8th (Monday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
June 12th-14th (Friday-Sunday) – days for monthly kispum
June 21st (Sunday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
June 23rd (Tuesday) – Sizkur-Gula for Ishtar of Uruk; Blessing of the Brick Molds (actual date)
June 27th (Saturday) – Sizkur-Gula for Ishtar and Gula, Blessing Brick Molds observed
June 29th (Monday) – Full Moon; read shu-ila (hand-raising) prayers
June 30th (Tuesday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
July 2nd (Thursday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
July 7th (Tuesday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
July 10th (Friday) – Sizkur-Gula for the Goddess Gula (actual date)
July 12th-14th (Sunday-Tuesday) – days for monthly kispum
July 21st (Tuesday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
July 25th (Saturday) – Babylonian Summer Solstice; honor the Sisters of the Esagila and Ezida
July 29th (Wednesday) – Full Moon; read shu-ila (hand-raising) prayers
July 30th (Thursday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
August 1st (Saturday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
August 5th (Wednesday) – Last quarter; read prayers of lamentations
August 10th -12th (Monday-Wednesday) – Feast of Dumuzi
August 10th (day) – Day of Wailing; read lamentations at sunset
August 11th (day) – Day of Redemption; perform healing or cleansing rites
August 12th (day) – Day of Dumuzi; host elunum (memorial) feast as part of kispum