Lupercalia was a Roman feast of purification. It was dedicated to the she-wolf who saved Romulus and Remus, the traditional founders of the City of Rome. The centre of the festivities in Rome was a cave called the Lupercal. This was, supposedly, where the wolf suckled the twin brothers until they were rescued by Faustulus, a shepherd.
The Lupercalia was also called dies Februatus. The word seems to be derived from proto-italic word februum for purification by making an offering. The purification instruments were called februa. This is the basis for the Roman month named Februarius and our February. For more about February see my post here.
The deity of the month was Neptune.
Parentalia
We are also in the middle of the Parentalia, which began on the 13th February and lasted nine days. It honoured parents and family ancestors. People would visit the family tombs found along the roadsides outside of the City. Here they would honour the ancestors by making offerings.
Goddesses of the Family Heath
There would be a family banquet and offerings made to the Lares – the household deities. Romans had a household altar for their worship. The Greek Goddess Hestia was the Goddess of the Hearth – the centre of any household, and Vestal was the Roman equivalent. Dickens borrowed the concept of the Household Gods in his Christmas book ‘the Chimes’.
According to Wikipedia the Codex-Calendar of 354, shows that 13 February had become the holiday Virgo Vestalis parentat. This was a public holiday which by then appears to have replaced the older Parentalia.
For more on Roman Burials and the Festivals of the dead look at my post here:
On This Day
29 – The Day that Christ overcame the devil. February 15th was the date chosen for this festival, which was called Sarum Rite. But it is long obsolete in the Church calendars, and no one seems to know what it was about. Although it seems obvious to me, it must be when the Devil tried to tempt Jesus in the Wilderness. I have just found this site which is equally unsure. But feast-of-the-triumph-of-christ-over-the-devil suggests that Jesus was baptised on 6th January and 40 days later takes us to February 15th when the Devil:
‘took him up into the holy city, and set him upon the pinnacle of the temple,
And said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written: That he hath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Jesus said to him: It is written again: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.‘
The story continues, but you get the gist of it. As to the date of AD 29. Dates about Jesus are very uncertain.
898 – In the Laws of King Alfred the Great, February 15th, the day Christ overcame the devil, was a day off for freemen. This is about the date of the first day in Lent. Lent of course varies with the date of Easter. In 2026 Lent starts on February 18th. But the law code says the 15th is the day off. I delve more into Days off in the Anglo Saxon Calender on August 15th.
1748 – Jeremy Bentham was born. He was a utilitarian philosopher, who believed ethics consisted on contributing to the great good of humanity. He was also involved in the foundation of the London University and founded University College, London – London’s first university. Founded in 1826.
My part in his story is that the mother of my children is a textile conservator and one of her first projects was to sort Jeremy Bentham out. He was an atheist and did not believe humans survive death. In order to encourage free thought, he ordered that his body should be publicly dissected (after his death!). His skeleton was then dressed in a suit, stuffed with straw, adorned with a cast of his head, Hat put on, and seated on a chair. Then placed in a cupboard, only to be brought out on ceremonial occasions. He’d got a bit dusty over the years, and a little frayed at the edges. So his clothes were repaired and cleaned, and restuffed with acid-free stuffing. Then put back in the cupboard, where you can still see him.
1915 – British Troops retake trenches near St Eloi – for more on this read my post here:
Revised February 15th 2026
