Are the Roman festivals only those included as feriae in the calendars of Rome?
No, Roman festivals were divided into two types, Feriae and Ludi. The former was an actual holiday, which could be further divided into publicly ordained and funded and privately conceived, and was defined by magistrates and priests as a date during which “religious rites were performed, civil lawsuits and quarrels avoided, and all men…could tak a period of rest” (Scullard p. 39). The latter was recorded in calendar documentation but was actually a form of “public game” with more entertaining and secular purposes, such as chariot races in the circus maximus, plays by popular authors such as Terence, and other pre-Gladiator public spectacles. Furthermore,not all Feriae were themselves planned on the Roman calendar: Emergency meetings or unexpected victories also counted as versions of this form of festival, and were not recorded in calendars in advance. Hope this helps! –Amber.
