Home » SHOP » Sabbat, Esbat, Holiday, or Moon Phase » Lupercalia (February 15)

Lupercalia (February 15)

Lupercalia is an ancient Pagan festival held each year on February 15. Unlike Valentine’s Day (which is believed to be an offshoot of Lupercalia), Lupercalia was a bloody, violent and sexually charged celebration awash with animal sacrifice, random matchmaking and coupling in the hopes of warding off evil spirits and infertility.

Lupercalia has been traced back as far as the 6th century BC. The holiday took place to honor the she-wolf who raised Romulus and Remus (founders of Rome), and to please the Roman fertility god Lupercus. The festival began with the sacrifice by naked Roman priests of male goats (representing sexuality) and a dog. The foreheads of the two priests were smeared with the animals’ blood, which was then rubbed off with a piece of milk-soaked wool as they laughed. A great feast followed the sacrifice. After the feast, the priests (called “Luperci”) cut strips of hide from the sacrificed goats. They then ran around naked, gently whipping the women with the bloody goat hide (which brought good luck and fertility). The men then randomly chose a woman’s name from a jar to be matched as a mate with them for the duration of the festival, and often for the next year until the following year’s festival. The matched couples sometimes fell in love and married.

Lupercalia was banned in the 5th century by Pope Gelasius because of the nudity and drunkenness. It was replaced by an occasion called the Festival of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, later replaced by Valentine’s Day.

Showing all 73 results