02-01-2022, 04:31 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-01-2022, 04:33 PM by BlackRose1042. Edited 2 times in total.)
Similar to most commonly celebrated holidays, Valentine's day is of Pagan origin. However, the original celebration is much different than the modern day celebration. 
Midwinter is a time of many ancient pagan celebrations surrounding fertility, cleansing and renewal. Valentine's Day specifically originates from a Roman pagan celebration of fertility, Lupercalia(Feb.15). A feast held shortly after Imbolc(Feb 1-2). But, as Christianity spread, Christians wanted to do away with Lupercalia and its traditions. Therefore, in the fifth century AD, Pope Gelasius I banned Lupercalia and in 496 AD the Catholic Church declared February 14 a day to feast and celebrate the life of the martyred Saint Valentine, said to have been executed on 14 February 269 AD.
Lupercalia was definitely not the cutesy celebration of love that it is today. It was a bloody sexually-charged celebration topped with animal sacrifice in hopes of warding off evil spirits and infertility. The festival began at Lupercal cave with the sacrifice of one or more male goats—a representation of sexuality—and a dog.
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 newly-sacrificed goats.
They then ran naked or nearly-naked around Palantine whipping any woman within striking distance with the thongs. Many women welcomed the lashes and even bared their skin to receive the fertility rite; it’s open to speculation what the lashes represented.
During Lupercalia, the men randomly chose a woman’s name from a jar to be coupled with them for the duration of the festival. Often, the couple stayed together until the following year’s festival. Many fell in love and married.
Valentine’s Day uses some of Lupercalia’s symbols, intentionally or not, such as the color red which represented a blood sacrifice, blood of labor(specific to Imbolc) and fertility during Lupercalia and the color white which signified the milk used to wipe the blood clean and represents new life and procreation.
So however you decide to celebrate this day of love, I hope it brings you fertility(if that's your wish),cleansing and renewal. Blessed be lovebirds
Midwinter is a time of many ancient pagan celebrations surrounding fertility, cleansing and renewal. Valentine's Day specifically originates from a Roman pagan celebration of fertility, Lupercalia(Feb.15). A feast held shortly after Imbolc(Feb 1-2). But, as Christianity spread, Christians wanted to do away with Lupercalia and its traditions. Therefore, in the fifth century AD, Pope Gelasius I banned Lupercalia and in 496 AD the Catholic Church declared February 14 a day to feast and celebrate the life of the martyred Saint Valentine, said to have been executed on 14 February 269 AD.
Lupercalia was definitely not the cutesy celebration of love that it is today. It was a bloody sexually-charged celebration topped with animal sacrifice in hopes of warding off evil spirits and infertility. The festival began at Lupercal cave with the sacrifice of one or more male goats—a representation of sexuality—and a dog.
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 newly-sacrificed goats.
They then ran naked or nearly-naked around Palantine whipping any woman within striking distance with the thongs. Many women welcomed the lashes and even bared their skin to receive the fertility rite; it’s open to speculation what the lashes represented.
During Lupercalia, the men randomly chose a woman’s name from a jar to be coupled with them for the duration of the festival. Often, the couple stayed together until the following year’s festival. Many fell in love and married.
Valentine’s Day uses some of Lupercalia’s symbols, intentionally or not, such as the color red which represented a blood sacrifice, blood of labor(specific to Imbolc) and fertility during Lupercalia and the color white which signified the milk used to wipe the blood clean and represents new life and procreation.
So however you decide to celebrate this day of love, I hope it brings you fertility(if that's your wish),cleansing and renewal. Blessed be lovebirds
Pure of Heart Dumb of Ass :P
Dumb of Ass :P
