FERIÆ, in Roman antiquity, holidays, or days upon which the people abstained from work. Proclamation was generally made by the herald, by command of the Rex Sacrorum or Flamines, that all should abstain from business; and whoever transgressed the order was severely fined.
The feriae were of two kinds; public and private. The public feriae were fourfold: first, Stativa, which were kept as public feasts by the whole city upon certain immovable days appointed by their calendar, as the Compitalia, Carmentalia, and Lupercalia; secondly, Feriae Conceptiva, which were moveable feasts, the days for the celebration of which were fixed by the magistrates or priests, as the Feria Latina, Paganalia, Compitalia, and others, which happened every year, though the days for observing them were left to the discretion of the magistrates or priests; thirdly, Feria Imperativa, which were instituted by the mere command of consuls, praetors, or dictators, upon the gaining of some victory or other fortunate event; and fourthly, Nundinae. The private feriae were holidays observed by particular persons or families, on several accounts, as birth-days, funerals, and the like. The feriae belonged to and formed one division of the dies festi.