Which festival is associated with the purification and protection of communities?

The festival associated with the purification and protection of communities is Compitalia. This festival was focused on honoring the Lares Compitales, the protective deities of the crossroads and the local community. Compitalia celebrated family and local spirits, reinforcing community ties and ensuring the well-being and protection of the household members.

While Lemuria, Lupercalia, and Magna Mater each held their own significance within Roman culture, they did not emphasize community purification and protection in the same way as Compitalia did. Lemuria was concerned with the appeasement of malevolent spirits and the purification of the home from ghosts. Lupercalia involved rites aimed at fertility and the protection of livestock, but its rituals were more about individual prosperity rather than community-wide protection. Magna Mater, or the Great Mother, focused on fertility, motherhood, and the cycle of life, which, while important, did not center specifically on the idea of community purification. Thus, Compitalia stands out as a festival dedicated explicitly to safeguarding and purifying the community.