| Lupercalia | |
|---|---|
 Lupercalia, oil painting, circa 1635 | |
| Observed by | Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic, Roman Empire |
| Type | Classical Roman religion |
| Celebrations | feasting |
| Observances | sacrifices of goats and a dog by the Luperci; offering of cakes by the Vestals; fertility rite in which the goatskin-clad Luperci strike women who wish to conceive |
| Date | February 15 |
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.[1] Lupercalia was also known as dies Februatus, after the purification instruments called februa, the basis for the month named Februarius.
- ^ One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Lupercalia". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 126.
