The Festival of Februalia

The Festival of Februalia

The name comes from the Latin term februum, which means "to cleanse" "purify" or cleanse. The festival was a period of spiritual "spring cleaning" to clear away past misdeeds and misfortune.

The observances were held near the end of the Roman calendar year, primarily from the 13th to the 15th of February on the lunar calendar.

The festival was associated with Februus, the Etruscan god of death and purification, and also with Juno Februa, the mother of the war god Mars.
The festival was held near the end of the Roman calendar and to understand how the holiday changed over time, It helps to know the calendar's history. Originally, the Roman year had only ten months they counted out ten months between March and December, and disregarded the "dead months" of January and February. Later,the Etruscans added these two months back into the equation. In fact, they planned to make January the first month, but the expulsion of the Etruscan dynasty prevented this from happening, and so March 1st was considered the first day of the year. February was dedicated to Februus.

Activities included public and private rituals of washing and cleaning to drive away evil spirits and encourage fertility and good health. The wealthy could spend the entire month in prayer and reflection. Priests CALLED Luperci used strips of sacrificed Goat Skin or Dog hides and would hit Women to increase fertility.

 The ceremony began at the Lupercal Cave, where the Luperci sacrificed goats for fertility and dogs for purification. I can only assume the Women of this time agreed to these lashings to promote fertility.

Unlike Valentine’s Day, Lupercalia was a bloody, and a sexually charged celebration awash with animal sacrifice and a feast in the hopes of warding off evil spirits and infertility.

Although Valentine’s shares its name with a Martyred Christian Saint, some historians believe the holiday is actually an offshoot of the underworld.  Februus was also the god of riches (money and gold) and death, both connected loosely to the underworld in the same natural manner as with the better-known Roman god Pluto, or the Greek God Hades. Februus' name may mean "the underground one.”

Februus is an ancient Italic god of purifications, who was worshipped by the Romans. He may have become the Roman Febris, goddess of fever. Febris  is Latin for fever. These are possibly connected with the sweating of fevers, which was considered a, washing, and purification process.

Februus is possibly named in honor of the more ancient Februariua. The Februus' holy month was (of Februa), hence the English February, a month named for the Februa/Februalia purification festival which occurred on the 15th of that month. These purification activities occurred at about the same time as Lupercalia, a Roman festival in honor of Faunus and also the wolf who nursed Romulus and Remus  during which expiatory sacrifices and ritual purifications were also performed.

According to Roman mythology, the infant twins Romulus and Remus were placed in a basket and set adrift on the Tiber River. They were abandoned there by order of King Amulius to die but were rescued and famously suckled by a she-wolf.  This makes me remember the Bible story of Moses. All Hebrew males under the age of Two were to be killed, to prevent an uprising of the Slaves.

Valetines’s or Februalia just a brief account of the Festival of Februalia.