Goddess of Fertility Day - Learn about Aphrodite & Fertility Goddesses

With Goddess of Fertility Day approaching, it’s a good time to learn about the different fertility goddesses! This day falls annually on March 18, and is dedicated to honoring the goddesses of fertility.

As this day falls in the middle of March, it occurs just days before the spring equinox, a time of rebirth and fertility in nature.

Goddess of Fertility Day is not the only day dedicated to fertility during this period of the year. Ancient fertility festivals also occurred during this period of time.

One of the most well known ancient fertility festivals that occurred during this time of the year was Lupercalia. This Pagan festival held on February 15, is one of the origins of our modern Valentine’s Day, and also has ties to Mardi Gras.

Let’s jump in and learn more about the goddesses of fertility to observe this day.

Greek goddess of fertility

In Greek mythology, Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of fertility. She is also known for being the goddess of love, beauty, and sexual pleasure.

Aphrodite is one of the most well known fertility goddesses. She symbolizes fertility, beauty and love. Fittingly, her son is also a god of love.

Her son, Eros, is the god of erotic love and desire. You may have heard of Eros by his Roman name: Cupid.

Cupid/Eros has come to be synonymous with love, and is now one of the most recognizable symbols of Valentine’s Day, even thought he has often caused heartache in addition to drawing lovers together.

Aphrodite facts

Celebrate Goddess of Fertility Day by checking out these facts about Aphrodite below. Some may surprise you!

Roman mythology, which came after Greek mythology, renamed Aphrodite. In Roman mythology she is called Venus.
Venus’s son’s name is Eros (known in Roman mythology as Cupid).
Aphrodite/Venus plays a large part in the story of Cupid and Psyche. This love story is one of the few successful stories of love between a god and a mortal being.
Aphrodite had her own love story with a mortal man named Adonis, which did not have a happy ending.
The story of Aphrodite and Adonis is believed to have created the first red rose.
In the story of Adonis and Aphrodite, Adonis was killed by a wild boar while hunting. Aphrodite ran to him, and stepped on the thorn of a white rose. Her blood fell on the white rose, turning it red, and creating the first red rose.

If you’re interested in learning more about other love stories of Greek mythology, make sure to check out our post on the story of Apollo and Daphne.

Aphrodite symbols

Like all Greek gods and goddesses, Aphrodite has several symbols that are associated with her. Since Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty and fertility, all of her symbols represent those concepts.

The symbols of Aphrodite are roses, doves, shells, apples, pomegranates, dolphins, pearls, myrtle, mirrors, sparrows, swans, and Aphrodite’s girdle.

One of the speculations of Aphrodite’s origin involves her being born from the sea, which links her to dolphins, pearls and shells.

Aphrodite has a strong connection to birds. Doves are the animal most often used to represent Aphrodite. Her chariot has also been described as being pulled by sparrows, and her connection to the sea influences her depiction with other water fowl.

Mirrors and roses are thought of as symbols of beauty, so it’s only fitting they are associated with Aphrodite. She is also connected to roses through her tragic love story with Adonis.

Red apples and pomegranates are symbols of Aphrodite, because the color red represents passion, and desire. Pomegranates were believed to have been an early attempt of birth control, which ties to Aphrodite’s association with fertility.

Aphrodite’s belt, sometimes called a girdle, had the power to make men fall in love with the person wearing the belt. Since Aphrodite is a goddess of love, it makes sense that her girdle would be one of her symbols.

Facts about Aphrodite

Have you enjoyed learning about the fertility goddesses? Here are some more Aphrodite facts for you to enjoy!

Aphrodite was often depicted as nude in early Greek art. One of her most popular depictions in art is in the Venus de Milo, which resides in the Louvre.
She was one of the Twelve Olympians who resided on Mount Olympus. The others were: Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Poseidon and Zeus.
In Hesiod’s Theogony, she is said to have risen from the sea. As the story goes, after Cronus killed Uranus and threw his genitals into the sea, Aphrodite emerged from the sea foam.
Homer’s Iliad says that Aphrodite is the daughter of Dione and Zeus. She is Zeus’s first daughter.
Zeus married Aphrodite to Hephaestus, but throughout time she had many lovers. She also had children with several different gods.

Who is the goddess of fertility?

While Aphrodite is one of the most well known fertility goddesses, she is not the only one! There are many fertility goddesses.

Each style of mythology has their own fertility goddess. In fact, most mythologies have multiple deities that are associated with fertility.

Some fertility goddesses are associated with fertility in regard to childbirth, and others are associated with fertile crops.

For example, Greek mythology views Aphrodite is a goddess of love, beauty and fertility in regards to children. It also views Demeter as a fertility goddess, but in a different way. Demeter is goddess of the harvest, and agriculture, and also fertile earth (for producing plentiful crops).

List of fertility goddesses

While many people think of Aphrodite on Goddess of Fertility Day, this day celebrates all of the goddesses of fertility!

The list below is a sampling of fertility goddesses from different styles of mythology.

Greek mythology – Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and fertility.
Roman mythology – Venus is the Roman equivalent of Aphrodite, as such she is also the goddess of love, beauty, fertility and pleasure.
Egyptian mythology – Hathor is the Egyptian goddess of fertility, music, and beauty.
Norse mythology – Freya is the Norse goddess of fertility, love, beauty, war and battle.
Aztec mythology- Xochiquetzal is the Aztec goddess of fertility, childbirth, flowers, and beauty.

Ways to celebrate Goddess of Fertility Day

Looking for a way to celebrate Goddess of Fertility Day? Check out the options below!

Some of the links below are affiliate links. I earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you if you purchase through an affiliate link.

Curious about goddesses in general? Use Goddess of Fertility Day to read a book about goddesses to learn more about them.
If you are trying to boost your own fertility, make an appointment to talk with your doctor.
Want to carry a token of fertility with you? You could wear a fertility goddess necklace.
Want to celebrate fertility goddesses like Demeter, who represent fertile earth and crops? Start getting your garden ready for spring!
Want to make your indoor plants produce more fertile? Try adding soil amendments like perlite and orchid bark to your soil mix.

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More March 18 national days

Did you enjoy learning about Goddess of Fertility Day? Well you’re in luck, March 18 is host to more than just one national day!

National days of the year are a fun way to celebrate odd and unusual foods, animals and items that you come into contact with. Be sure to check out my national day’s guide for more fun days to celebrate.

Here is a complete list of all the March 18 national days:

Goddess of Fertility Day
National Awkward Moments Day
National Biodiesel Day
National Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day
National Sloppy Joe Day
National Supreme Sacrifice Day
Forgive Mom and Dad Day

More national days in March

There are close to 2000 national days in the year and over 150 of them are celebrated in March.

To see them all, have a look at this post to discover more about the national days in March. You can also find a March word search printable for some national day puzzle fun.

Is food your thing? Each day of the month has a food or drink associated with it, too. You’ll find all the March food holidays here.

Be sure to also check out these national days this month:

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You can also watch our mythology video on YouTube.

About the author

Since graduating from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Jess has been living and working in Los Angeles, CA. She is a freelance writer, specializing in content related to fashion, food and drink and film industry topics. Find out more about Jess here.