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Dec 13, 2017 · Feast of Lupercal. In Ancient Rome, feasting began after the ritual sacrifice. When the feast of Lupercal was over, the Luperci cut strips, also called thongs or februa, of goat hide from the...
Lupercalia, also known as Lupercal, 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.
Lupercalia, ancient Roman fertility 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. Learn about the history and traditions of Lupercalia in this article.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
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- Lupercalia featured odd sacrifices. 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.
- Whippings were also on the Lupercalia menu. 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.
- People may have been naked—or maybe not. One long-standing debate about Lupercalia is the degree of nudity. There are definite references to nudus, but that doesn’t necessarily mean naked.
- It’s not quite clear who or what Lupercalia was celebrating. 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."
Jan 14, 2020 · Learn about the ancient and long-lasting Roman holiday that was associated with Valentine's Day and Caesar's assassination. Discover its origins, rituals, and connections to wolves, she-wolves, and Romulus and Remus.
Feb 14, 2019 · Priests of the god Lupercus, called the Luperci, would take off their clothes and slaughter goats in the Lupercal, the cave that Roman legend held to have been the location where city founders...
