Festivals were a very important part of life in ancient Greece, and were a central part of worshipping the gods. They usually include a procession and a sacrifice. Festivals also included various competitions, which were seen as another way to honour a god. There were competitions in music, poetry, drama and also athletics. Some of the most important festivals of ancient Greece involved athletic competiton, such as the Olympic Games, which were held in honour of Zeus, and the Pythian Games, held at Delphi in honour of Apollo.
One festival in Athens, held to honour Dionysos, involved a competition between playwrights. This led to the creation of some of the best known plays from ancient Greece, written by people such as Sophokles, Euripides and Aristophanes.