Celebrating fertility and prosperity, Lupercalia was one of the most controversial yet important Roman festivals. It was bloody, violent, and so important, in fact, that it remained one of the most enduring pagan observances. What’s more, some suggest that it was the precursor of Valentine’s Day. So, we had to ask: What is the most important information you need to know about this year’s Lupercalia?

👉 Official Name: Lupercalia
💚 Cause: Promote purification, good health, and fertility in Ancient Rome
📅 Next Date: February 15, 2026
🐦 Hashtags: #Lupercalia, #Lupercal

Keep reading to find all the important information about Lupercalia at a glance: its big picture, why it’s important, and how you can get involved. We’ll then share its brief history, three interesting facts about it, its future dates, and how you’ll never miss any important awareness event again.

The Most Important Information About Lupercalia at a Glance

1️⃣ The big picture: Lupercalia, also known as Lupercal, was a pagan, pastoral festival held annually in Ancient Rome. It honored Lupercus, a god of fertility, and involved sacrifices to the two deities associated with fecundity and childbirth: Pan and Lucina. Celebrations were mainly held at Lupercal, the cave where tradition held that Romulus and Remus were nursed by the she-wolf (called Lupa). The festival was conducted by priests named Luperci (“brothers of the wolf”), who began the festival with animal sacrifices and performed fertility rituals in hopes of pleasing deities and warding off evil spirits and infertility.

2️⃣ Why it is important: Lupercalia was a significant observance for ancient Romans. It was so important that the Roman Senate protested against the push to outlaw this festivity by the Christian Church in the late Roman Empire, saying that the festival was essential to Rome’s safety and well-being. Like other Roman festivals such as Saturnalia, Floralia, and Vulcanalia, it presented an opportunity for the Roman people to honor their deities and strengthen their social cohesion through ritualistic ceremonies. Also, during Lupercalia, strict social norms were loosened, and people indulged in chaotic playfulness and controversial rites to guard against evil spirits, as well as increase health and prosperity. 

3️⃣ How you can celebrate: You can observe Lupercalia by having a Roman-inspired party, embracing the purification aspect of this holiday, and honoring nature and animals:

1. Roman-style feast: You can host a rustic dinner party with your friends to enjoy delicious (even indulgent) food and drinks. To set the mood, consider incorporating Roman-inspired dishes and decorations or even make it a costume party. 
2. Personal cleansings: Lupercalia is all about purification, so use this opportunity to do some cleansings in your own life. You can get rid of physical clutter or use incense and oils with purifying properties. In addition, focus on letting go of relationships that don’t support you and reflect on personal changes for the upcoming year. 
3. Celebrate nature and animals: You can use this day to enjoy a hike in the calm, wintery nature, or even organize a nature cleanup with your friends. Moreover, in honor of the she-wolf Lupa, consider donating time or resources to a local animal shelter or wolf conservation charity.

A Brief History of Lupercalia

When was this event established: The origins of Lupercalia are unknown, with possible Sabine roots, and it probably started in the 6th century BC. The feast was initially known as Februa (“Purification” or “Purging”) after the “februum”, a purification instrument used on the day. Lupercalia was a bloody and violent celebration. Luperci priests conducted animal sacrifices at the altar of Lupercal, a cave associated with the mythological she-wolf, whom they wanted to please, along with other deities of fertility, prosperity, and purification. They used the sacrificial blood for purification and the skins of sacrificed animals to try to enhance women’s fertility. 

How has it developed since then: In the 4th century, the Christian Church banned all non-Christian cults and festivals in the Roman Empire, but many Romans still engaged in Lupercalia. Then, in the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I sought to forcefully abolish this celebration, calling it a “vile rabble”, but the Roman Senate vehemently protested against this decision. No evidence clarifies if Pope Gelasius abolished Lupercalia, but historians suggest that, in time, Christianity replaced this festival with Candlemas, or the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Today, official celebrations of Lupercalia are obsolete. 

3 Interesting Facts About Lupercalia

1. Is it Valentine’s Day?: Some historians suggest that Christianity, through Pope Gelasius, replaced Lupercalia with the celebration of the Saint Valentine of Rome, who had been martyred on February 14, 269. However, current associations of Valentine’s Day with courtly, romantic love only started in the 14th century, way later than the widespread end of Lupercalia. These current traditions originate from a poem by famous English writer Geoffrey Chaucer. 
2. Caesar and the Lupercalia: In 44 BC, during Lupercalia, a new association of Luperci priests was formed. It was named “Juliani”, after Julius Caesar, and its first magister was Mark Antony. At the same Lupercalia, Julius Caesar publicly refused a golden crown offered to him by Mark Antony. In addition, William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar” takes place during the Lupercalia, where Caesar instructs Mark Antony to strike his wife Calpurnia. 
3. Discovery of Lupercal: The Lupercal cave, rich in spiritual and mythological meaning for the Romans, was restored and rebuilt by the founder of the Roman Empire, Augustus. Centuries later, in 2007, Italian archaeologists discovered a chamber beneath the remains of Emperor Augustus’s house. They initially thought they had stumbled upon the remnants of the legendary cave, but scholarly consensus agrees that it was in fact a grotto dedicated to nymphs, not the Lupercal.

Upcoming Dates of Lupercalia

Lupercalia is observed every year on February 15.

Never Miss an Important Awareness Event Again

Sources

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• Penelope Chicago: THE LUPERCALIA IN THE FIFTH CENTURY
• CNET: Valentine’s Day: The Wild, Pagan History Behind the Romantic Holiday
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• National Geographic: Sacred Cave of Rome’s Founders Discovered, Archaeologists Say