In Ancient Greece, a yearly festival known as the Hekalesian Rites was held in Hekate's honor at Marathon on August the 13th. It was enacted in the hopes of gaining the goddess' favor, and thusly averting the terrible storms the moon might bring before the approaching harvest. The city of Stratonicea in Karia also held a festival in her honor called the Hekatesia, while the island of Aegina was also known to host mystery rites in her honor. Further still, the night of November 16th was known as Hekate Night, and a festival was held in her honor beginning at sunset. Sacrifices and offerings of food were given to her, as it was believed that she wandered the earth with the hosts of the dead. She would bless those who honored her, and woe to those who did not.
Black animals such as lambs or dogs were sometimes sacrificed to her. Dogs especially were considered to be sacred to her, and it was said she and her priestesses took the form of black dogs to roam the land in secret. Due to this black dogs were sacrificed to her at Colophon and Samothrace.
It was also customary to leave Hekate's Suppers out at crossroads for her at the end of every month. These were offerings of food such as bread, cheese, garlic, eggs, honey, etc... Small, round cakes known as amphiphôn were decorated with small torches and left out for her on the eves of the New and Full Moons. These offerings were placed at the crossroad and the supplicant then left without turning to look back. The reason for the latter was most likely rationalized as being so that the person would be spared witnessing the dread goddess when she came to accept the gifts. Or perhaps more cynically it was so that they would not see who really enjoyed the bounties left behind. For while these offerings probably did not end up in the literal tummy of the goddess, they most certainly were appreciated by the poor, outcast folk living on the edges of civilization, whom we have seen were under Hekate's protection. Indeed, in the play Frogs by Aristophanes the character Plutus says to Poverty: "Ask Hekate whether it is better to be rich or starving; she will tell you that the rich send her a meal every month and that the poor make it disappear before it is even served."
Also in ancient times children were often taken to the crossroads shortly after their birth in order to be presented to Hekate. One can imagine that the parents hoped that the goddess would guide their child to prosperity and well-being and steer them away from misfortune, as parents do in all times and cultures. Again we also see in this her role as child-nurse to all living beings, holding power not only in death and birth, but the life in between as well.
In the modern era Hekate is associated with the dark of the moon, so this is often the time in which Neo-Pagans invoke her. Obviously animal sacrifice is not performed anymore, though many modern Witches do follow the practice of leaving Hekate's Suppers, either literally leaving food at crossroads or by donating non-perishable items to local food banks or homeless shelters.
It is also interesting to note that Hesiod and other ancient writers say that before sacrifices or offerings are given to any deity one must first go before Hekate. This is because of their belief that she is the "Cosmic World Soul", the mediator between the Gods and mortals and the connective boundary between the earthly realms and the heavens.
