It is important to note that Ancient Hellenic practice was an orthopraxic religion, not an orthodoxic one. What this means is that religious observance was about DOING the right thing rather than THINKING the right thing. Want to appease the gods? Give them presents, don't talk shit on them. An orthodoxic religion wants you to feel bad if you miss church or believe in a set of commandments.

The practical upside of the more reasonable orthopraxic practices is where they benefit the people regardless of their religious standing. In Hellenic religion you might sacrifice animals or cloth or grains or wine to the gods, but they only require a small portion of the consumable parts or take the inedible parts. What happens to the rest? It's a party! The amount of meat involved in a bull, pig, or goat sacrifice can be substantial, and feed not only the family but whole neighborhoods in a polis. This now means that thanks to the full religious calendars, even the poor are getting meat on a regular basis. To say nothing of wine, grains, cloth...

Orthopraxic Hellenic religion was not just a source of moral guidance, but a provider of public works and a source of welfare as well in a very direct way.

Even monthly household observances meant a meal left out for the gods at a nearby Herm or crossroads... Where homeless people and travelers could often be found. Come back the next day and look! The food is gone! The gods loved your offering! It's a miracle! And the homeless travelers think look! There is food when I need it! What a miracle! And no one thinks to question that traveler, because what if it's a god in disguise? This is also the source of the concept of Xenia, or Guest Right, which is incredibly common throughout that part of the world to this day.