What if I told you that ancient Romans had their very own magical health potion made from GRAPES?

The Rites of Medetrina: Rome's Ancient Wine Medicine Day!

When Romans mixed old and new wine to stay healthy all year long!

Ancient Romans drank mixed wine on this special day to magically stay healthy!

Picture this: it's late September in ancient Rome, and something super cool is happening! On this special day, Romans celebrated the goddess Medetrina, whose name comes from the Latin word 'mederi' — which means 'to heal' or 'to cure.'

Here's the fun part: Romans believed that drinking wine could actually be MEDICINE! But not just any wine — they had a special trick. They would mix brand-new wine (fresh from the grape harvest) with old wine from the previous year. Then they'd say a magical phrase: 'I drink new and old wine; with new and old wine I cure disease!'

Why would they do this? Well, ancient Romans didn't have doctors' offices or pharmacies like we do today. They believed that the gods controlled their health, and that certain foods and drinks had special powers. Medetrina was thought to protect people from getting sick during the coming winter months.

The grape harvest season was super important in ancient Rome. Grapes were everywhere — growing on hillsides, in backyards, and in huge vineyards. Families would work together to pick the grapes, squish them with their feet (yes, really!), and make fresh wine.

💡 The word 'medicine' actually comes from the same root as the goddess Medetrina's name — so every time you take medicine, you're using a word invented by ancient Romans!