February is the month of Februus, the ancient Roman god of purification. The name Februus comes from the Latin verb februa (which may have either Etruscan or Sabine roots), which means “to purge, purify, or cleanse”. The word “fever” is based on… Read More ›
February
December 5 – The Festival of Faunus
In the ancient Roman calendar, each month had three special days assigned to it: the Kalends, the Nones, and the Ides. The “Kalends” was the first day in each month, and it’s from this Latin word that we get our… Read More ›
February 2 – The Feast of Ceres and the Blessing of the Seeds
Today is February 2. Most Americans know this as “Groundhog Day” in which, according to their superstitions, a groundhog is able to predict if warm or cold weather will come. The story is that if a groundhog emerges from its… Read More ›
February 1 – The Month of Februus, the Ancient Roman God of Purification
In the ancient Roman calendar, several of the months are named after gods in the Roman pantheon. January is named after Janus, the god of new beginnings. March is named after Mars, the god of war. But what about February?… Read More ›
February 23 – The Terminalia: The Feast Day of the Roman Border God
February 23 was the date of the Terminalia, the festival dedicated to the ancient Roman god Terminus, the god of property boundaries. Yep, that was a real thing. Agrarian societies like the Roman peasant class took land ownership extremely seriously…. Read More ›
February 22 – The Caristia: The Ancient Roman Family Thanksgiving Feast
Fresco from the House of Julia Felix in Pompeii, Italy. February 22 was the ancient Roman holiday called the Caristia, and it was one of the biggest party days in the Roman calendar. Essentially it was Thanksgiving and Christmas put… Read More ›
February 21 – Rest in Peace: The Feralia Festival of the Dead
Classical Sunset. © Jason R. Abdale (August 20, 2021) The ancient Romans had several days in their calendar dedicated to honoring the dead. Among these was a period that lasted from February 13 to 21 which was known as the… Read More ›
February 13 – Rest in Peace: The Parentalia Festival of the Dead
Gone But Not Forgotten, painted by John Willian Waterhouse (1873). The Parentalia was a private remembrance day for the family’s deceased. The festival, for lack of a better word, lasted from February 13 to 21. During these days, all of… Read More ›
February 17 – The Fornicalia
February 17 was the ancient Roman festival called the Fornicalia. NO, get your mind out of the gutter, it’s got nothing to do with what you’re thinking of! The word comes from the Latin word fornax, meaning “oven”; the English… Read More ›
February 15 – The Lupercalia
Do you fancy yourself a wolf when it comes to the ladies? Well, today’s your chance to show your stuff! February 15 is the day of the Lupercalia, which was the major fertility festival in the ancient Roman calendar. The… Read More ›
DINOSAURS AND BARBARIANS 