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8 results for: Lupercalia

Dictionary Entries (4 more entries. View all »)
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)Cite This Source
Lu·per·ca·li·a    Audio Help   [loo-per-key-lee-uh, ‑keyl-yuh] Pronunciation Key
–noun, plural -li·a, -li·as.
a festival held in ancient Rome on the 15th of February to promote fertility and ward off disasters.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopedia Articles (2 more entries. View all »)
Columbia Electronic EncyclopediaCite This Source


Lupercalia, ancient Roman festival held annually on Feb. 15. The ceremony of the festival was intended to secure fertility and keep out evil. Two male youths, clad in animal skin, ran around the city slapping passersby with strips of goat skin. Because the youths impersonated male goats (the embodiment of sexuality), the ceremony was believed to be in honor of Faunus. The festival survived into Christian times and was not abolished until the end of the 5th cent. 
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004, Columbia University Press.
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