Hermes was given many offerings such as:
- Food - such as cakes and meat
- Wine
- Flowers - narcissi, asphodels, and hyacinths
- Animals - such as lambs and goats
- Incense
- Small clay dolls that represented the wind
Rituals
Ancient Greek people performed a number of rituals to honor Hermes:
- They built phallic-shaped posts as a homage to his phallic nature.
- They placed stones at crossroads in his name.
- Wrestlers prayed to Hermes for strength and agility before athletic contests.
- Thieves would try to win his favor before setting out to rob someone.
- Travellers would pray to Hermes before setting off on a journey
- Merchants prayed to him for prosperous trade.
There were four main Greek festivals which honored Hermes:
- His birthday on July 25
- His festival of the Hermaea on April 1
- The Anthesteria on 11 and 12 of the month Anthesterion (February-March)
- The lesser Eleusinian Mysteries in Boeotia in mid-December