how is lupercalia celebrated

6 Ways to Celebrate Lupercalia, the Pagan Valentine’s Day

1. Cleansing & Purging. Lupercalia is in the month of February, and it was also called dies Februatus by the ancient Romans.
2. Feast on the Pagan Valentine’s Day! Whether you have a love interest or not, Lupercalia is about celebrating what we have on this earthly plane.
3. Drink Wine. ...
4. Make Love. ...
5. Fertility Rituals. ...
6. Wear Red and White. ...

Full Answer

Is Lupercalia still celebrated today?

Lupercalia is no longer a mainstream, public celebration for obvious reasons, but some non-Christians still recognize the ancient event on February 14 (instead of Valentine’s Day) and celebrate in private. History of Valentine’s Day. Society for the Confluence of Festivals in India.

What are the rituals of Lupercalia?

The actual rituals of Lupercalia are a bit mysterious. Some say there was a love lottery, while there is evidence of women’s ritual whipping to encourage fertility. Many of the traditions of Lupercalia would be inappropriate for modern witches, such as the ritual sacrifice aspect.

What is the Roman festival of Lupercalia?

…in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, held in mid-February. The festival, which celebrated the coming of spring, included fertility rites and the pairing off of women with men by lottery. At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I forbid the celebration of Lupercaliaand is sometimes attributed with…

What was Lupercalia's main attraction?

After the blood/wool excitement, Lupercalia's main attraction was the runners. The sacrificed goat’s skin was cut into thongs and (possibly—see below) girdles to be worn by the athletes. Then two sets of runners (a third set would be added later) would make their way through the streets of the city, whipping whomever they met on their way.

What did they do on Lupercalia?

At the Lupercal cave, a dog and one or more male goats, to represent sexuality were sacrificed by the Luperci, a group of priests. Two of them, at this point naked, would be smeared by the blood from the sacrificial knife. As the Luperci priests laughed, the blood was removed with wool soaked in milk.

What was Lupercalia and how was it celebrated?

Lupercalia was a pastoral festival of Ancient Rome observed annually on February 15 to purify the city, promoting health and fertility. Lupercalia was also known as dies Februatus, after the purification instruments called februa, the basis for the month named Februarius.

What does Lupercalia have to do with Valentine's Day?

The earliest possible origin story of Valentine's Day is the pagan holiday Lupercalia. Occurring for centuries in the middle of February, the holiday celebrates fertility. Men would strip naked and sacrifice a goat and dog.

What is festival of Lupercalia?

Lupercalia, ancient Roman festival that was conducted annually on February 15 under the superintendence of a corporation of priests called Luperci.

Does Valentine's day come from Lupercalia?

Valentine's Day, also called St. Valentine's Day, holiday (February 14) when lovers express their affection with greetings and gifts. Given their similarities, it has been suggested that the holiday has origins in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, held in mid-February.

How long is Lupercalia celebrated?

Lupercalia may have started at the time of the founding of Rome (traditionally 753 B.C.) or even before. It ended about 1200 years later, at the end of the 5th century A.D., at least in the West, although it continued in the East for another few centuries.

What is pagan Lupercalia?

Lupercalia is an old Pagan festival coming from Ancient Rome. It takes place on February 15th and it began as a way to honor the founding of Rome. The root of the word Lupercalia means “wolf” so this festival celebrated the twin founders Romulus & Remus, who were cared for by a she-wolf as children.

What was Lupercus the God of?

an ancient Italian divinity, who was worshipped by shepherds as the protector of their flocks against wolves, and at the same time as the promoter of the fertility among sheep, whence he was called Inuus or Ἐφιάλτης.

What is Saturnalia and Lupercalia?

The festivals Lupercalia, Saturnalia, and Lemuria were three of Rome's most important celebrations. Each were valuable to the empire, as they celebrated the gods that acted as the stitches of Rome that pulled the diverse parts of the land together.

What is faunus?

Faunus, ancient Italian rural deity whose attributes in Classical Roman times were identified with those of the Greek god Pan. Faunus was originally worshipped throughout the countryside as a bestower of fruitfulness on fields and flocks.

What is Lupercalia festival?

Lupercalia, ancient Roman festival that was conducted annually on February 15 under the superintendence of a corporation of priests called Luperci. The origins of the festival are obscure, although the likely derivation of its name from lupus (Latin: “wolf”) has variously suggested connection with an ancient deity who protected ...

What is Lupercalia in Encyclopaedia Britannica?

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Lupercalia, ancient Roman festival that was conducted annually on February 15 under the superintendence of a corporation of priests called Luperci.

What did the Luperci sacrifice?

Each Lupercalia began with the sacrifice by the Luperci of goats and a dog, after which two of the Luperci were led to the altar, their foreheads were touched with a bloody knife, and the blood was wiped off with wool dipped in milk; the ritual required that the two young men laugh.

When is the feast of purification?

Tradition holds that he appropriated the form of the rite as the Feast of the Purification ( Candlemas ), celebrated on February 2, but it is likely that the Christian feast was established in the previous century.

When was Valentine's Day celebrated?

It has also been alternately suggested that Pope Gelasius I replaced Lupercalia with St. Valentine’s Day, celebrated on February 14th, but the origin of that holiday was likely much later. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello, Assistant Editor.

When was Lupercalia celebrated?

The Lupercalia festival is marked on a calendar of 354 alongside traditional and Christian festivals. Despite the banning in 391 of all non-Christian cults and festivals, the Lupercalia was celebrated by the nominally Christian populace on a regular basis into the reign of the emperor Anastasius.

What is the feast of Lupercalia?

sacrifices of goats and a dog by the Luperci; offering of cakes by the Vestals; fertility rite in which the goatskin-clad Luperci strike women who wish to conceive. Date. February 15. Lupercalia was a pastoral festival of Ancient Rome observed annually on February 15 to purify the city, promoting health and fertility.

What is the meaning of the festival of purification?

Name. The festival was originally known as Februa ("Purifications" or "Purgings") after the februum which was used on the day. It was also known as Februatus and gave its name variously, as epithet to Juno Februalis, Februlis, or Februata in her role as patron deity of that month; to a supposed purification deity called Februus;

What is Lupercalia's origin?

The name Lupercalia was believed in antiquity to evince some connection with the Ancient Greek festival of the Arcadian Lykaia, a wolf festival ( Greek: λύκος, lýkos; Latin: lupus ), and the worship of Lycaean Pan, assumed to be a Greek equivalent to Faunus, as instituted by Evander.

What were the Luperci?

The Luperci were young men ( iuvenes ), usually between the ages of 20 and 40. They formed two religious collegia (associations) based on ancestry; the Quinctiliani (named after the gens Quinctia) and the Fabiani (named after the gens Fabia ). Each college was headed by a magister.

What is the name of the saint that Patrick Wolf celebrated on February 15th?

Not to be confused with Lupercal. For the saint by the name 'Lupercus', see Marcellus of Tangier. For the Patrick Wolf album, see Lupercalia (album). Lupercalia was a pastoral festival of Ancient Rome observed annually on February 15 to purify the city, promoting health and fertility.

What is the name of the fig tree that Romulus and Remus were brought to?

Near the cave stood a sanctuary of Rumina, goddess of breastfeeding; and the wild fig-tree ( Ficus Ruminalis) to which Romulus and Remus were brought by the divine intervention of the river-god Tiberinus ; some Roman sources name the wild fig tree caprificus, literally "goat fig".

What is Lupercalia?

There is quite a bit of debate regarding many aspects of Lupercalia, with scholars having various stances regarding its origin, traditions, and influence.

When is Lupercalia?

Lupercalia was an ancient pagan festival that took place every year on February 15th in Rome. Some scholars claim this event took place on February 13th and lasted through the 15th.

Is Lupercalia Pagan?

While Lupercalia does have Pagan origins, it’s not a commonly practiced celebration in more modern times. However, The Satanic Temple lists Lupercalia as one of its annual holidays.

Lupercalia Festival History and Origins

Lupercalia’s origins begin with Roman legend claiming that King Amulius ordered his twin nephews, Romulus and Remus, to be drowned in the Tiber river. This was meant as a punishment for their mother, who broke a vow of celibacy.

Lupercalia Pagan Festival

Lupercalia festivities took place in a few different locations, including Lupercal cave, Palatine Hill, and in the Comitium, a public outdoor space. The rituals were carried out by a group of Roman priests known as Luperci, who were typically young men.

Lupercalia Traditions

Like many Pagan holidays, Lupercalia was a big feast with lots of drinking and sexual escapades.

What is Lupercalia?

Lupercalia is an ancient Roman festival of fertility and purification. It’s celebrated from February 14th to the 15th and predates Valentine’s Day by centuries! Every year, the ancient Romans would perform rituals and then throw parties all in the name of purification.

What is the meaning of Lupercalia?

1. Cleansing & Purging . Lupercalia is in the month of February, and it was also called dies Februatus by the ancient Romans. Februatus translates to “purge”. Therefore, if you don’t want to celebrate the pagan Valentine’s Day with love-making and feasting, make it a day of cleansing and purging.

What is the name of the festival where Romans celebrated sexuality?

The Hott (Albeit Wild) Fertility Customs. So Lupercalia, being an ancient fertility festival, was very much a day when the ancient Romans celebrated sexuality. One particular Lupercalia tradition involved the young priests and noblemen running through the city streets (ahem, naked) with whips.

What customs did Lupercalia customs?

Ancient Lupercalia Customs: The Hott and the Horrendous. In addition to being linked to the wolf, Lupercalia was a “breastfeeding” festival and tied to the founders of Rome – Romulus and Remus and a nursing-goddess Rumina. Our readers know we don’t candy coat things.

What did the Romans drink?

Drink Wine. The Romans were all about their wine. If you want to do Lupercalia right, you gotta drink the wine, folks! Red is best to represent love and passion. Be sure to make a toast to the ancient Romans and a fertile life before drinking the wine.

What is the name of the Roman festival of fertility?

Lupercalia, an Ancient Roman festival for fertility and purification. Some call it the Pagan Valentine’s Day. Don’t want to celebrate Valentine’s Day and get sucked into the commercialism of it all? Celebrate Lupercalia and have a bloody blast!!!

Why did ancient Romans sacrifice animals?

We know most ancient cultures sacrificed animals and other things to their gods to ensure various ostentatious results. The ancient Romans were no different. Every Lupercalia, the priesthood (called the Luperci) was summoned to a cave with the Lupercal altar to sacrifice a goat and a dog.

What is Lupercalia famous for?

Lupercalia is when Julius Caesar was offered the crown. Today, Lupercalia is probably most famous for what happened on February 15, 44 BCE. That day a “ naked, perfumed, drunk ” Mark Antony was one of the runners while Julius Caesar watched the proceedings from a throne. Antony went up to Julius Caesar with a diadem (a type of crown or headband) ...

Why are the Luperci called Lupercalia?

According to the 1st century BCE scholar Marcus Terentius Varro, "the Luperci [are so called] because at the Lupercalia they sacrifice at the Lupercal … the Lupercalia are so called because [that is when] the Luperci sacrifice at the Lupercal.". This incredibly unhelpful circular definition has led to centuries of debate about who, or what, ...

Why is Gelasius' letter interesting?

First, because Gelasius flat-out describes many of the less seemly rites, and it also allows historians to analyze how Lupercalia changed with time and changed with the perception of the author.

What animals were sacrificed at Lupercalia?

Every year on February 15, the festival began by going to the Lupercal (the legendary site where Romulus and Remus were suckled) and sacrificing a dog and a goat. According to scholar Keith Hopkins, this was unusual in and of itself, because pigs, sheep, and bulls were most commonly used as sacrificial animals.

What did Gelasius teach about Lupercalia?

By Gelasius’s time this had become heavily altered, leading him to proclaim “your own bashfulness ought itself to teach you that the Lupercalia is a public crime, not salvation and the cult of the Divinity, regarding which no wise man would blush.

What is the Valentine's Day feast day?

In the 1980s some historians, led by Andy Kelly of UCLA, began proposing that the "Valentine" Chaucer was referring to was St. Valentine of Genoa, whose feast day occurred on May 2 or May 3 (sources differ), instead of Valentine of Rome.

What was Lupercalia's main event?

Sex, violence, and drunkenness: For centuries, Lupercalia was a major Roman party, surviving well into the rise of Christianity. And pretty soon, someone on your Facebook feed is probably going to claim that this holiday gave rise to our modern Valentine’s Day. So what’s the true story behind the ancient Roman festival and its relation to candy hearts?

Why is Lupercalia celebrated?

Updated January 14, 2020. Lupercalia is one of the most ancient of the Roman holidays (one of the feriae listed on ancient calendars from even before the time Julius Caesar reformed the calendar). It is familiar to us today for two main reasons: It is associated with Valentine's Day. It is the setting for Caesar's refusal ...

How long did Lupercalia last?

It ended about 1200 years later, at the end of the 5th century A.D., at least in the West, although it continued in the East for another few centuries. There may be many reasons why Lupercalia lasted so long, but most important must have been its wide appeal.

What is the Latin word for wolf Luperci?

Although originally the Luperci had to be aristocrats, the Sodales Luperci came to include equestrians, and then, the lower classes. Etymologically, Luperci, Lupercalia, and Lupercal all relate to the Latin for 'wolf' lupus, as do various Latin words connected with brothels. The Latin for she-wolf was slang for prostitute.

Why were the Luperci naked?

While running, the Luperci struck those men or women they encountered with goatskin thongs (or perhaps a lagobolon 'throwing stick' in the early years) following the opening event: a sacrifice of goat or goat and dog.

What is the name of the cave where the twins Romulus and Remus were suckled by

The name of the Lupercalia was talked about a lot in the wake of the 2007 discovery of the legendary Lupercal cave where, supposedly, the twins Romulus and Remus were suckled by a she-wolf. The Lupercalia may be the longest-lasting of the Roman pagan festivals. Some modern Christian festivals, like Christmas and Easter, ...

What month did the Sodales perform purification?

The Performance. The cavorting Sodales Luperci performed an annual purification of the city in the month for purification, February. Since early in Roman history March was the start of the New Year, the period of February was a time to get rid of the old and prepare for the new.

Why is Lupercalia associated with Valentine's Day?

If all you know about Lupercalia is that it was the background for Mark Antony to offer the crown to Caesar 3 times in Act I of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, you probably wouldn't guess that Lupercalia was associated with Valentine's Day. Other than Lupercalia, the big calendar event in ...

What was the first thing to be done during the festival of Lupercalia?

The first thing to be done during the festival of Lupercalia was a sacrifice of goats and dogs. The men would then use these sacrifices in whippings to increase female fertility.

What happened after the men made the sacrifices?

After the men made the sacrifices, they ran through the streets and whipped women with the hides of the animals they had sacrificed. At first, this was done voluntarily by the women, though it eventually may have been less voluntary.

Overview

History

The Februa was of ancient and possibly Sabine origin. After February was added to the Roman calendar, Februa occurred on its fifteenth day (a.d. XV Kal. Mart.). Of its various rituals, the most important came to be those of the Lupercalia. The Romans themselves attributed the instigation of the Lupercalia to Evander, a culture hero from Arcadia who was credited with bringing the Olympic pantheon, Greek laws and alphabet to Italy, where he founded the city of Pallantium on t…

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