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Februarius
FEBRUARIUS (sacred to Juno Februra)
Juno Februra
II Februarius ad XIV Februarius/February 2-14: Sacred to Juno Februra, mother of Mars and goddess of the passion of love. [back to calendar]
Festival of Ceres
II Februarius/February 2: Sacred to Ceres, goddess of grain. [back to calendar]Apollo
IX Februarius/February 9: Sacred to Apollo (left), god of the sun. [back to calendar]Diana
XII Februarius/February 12: Sacred to Diana, goddess of the moon and the hunt. [back to calendar]Parentalia
XIII Februarius ad XXI Februarius/February 13-21: Observed from the Ides of Februarius until the Feralia. It is a time to honor the manes, or spirits of the ancestors. All but the last day is for private commemoration of the dead, but for the whole temples are closed, magistrates do not wear their togas of office, and no marriages may be performed. Offerings are made to the dead, particularly to ancestors of one's own family. [back to calendar]Lupercalia
XV Februarius/February 15: A celebration sacred to Faunus, the luperci priests sacrifice goats and a dog, as well as sacred cakes. Afterwards, two young nobles are smeared with the sacrificial blood and the lupercii don the hides of the goats and run through the streets striking passersby with strips of the goats' skin to promote fertility. It is a festival of much revelry. [back to calendar]Quirinalia XVII Februarius/February 17: Celebrated by the flamen Quirinalis, and sacred to Quirinus, one of the Capitoline Triad of gods (Jupiter, Mars, and Quirinus). It is also known as the Feast of Fools. [back to calendar]
Tacita
XVIII Februarius/February 18: Sacred to Tacita, goddess of silence and the halting of unfriendly speech and hostile tongues. [back to calendar]Feralia
XXI Februarius/February 21: The public honoring of the manes, or spirits of the dead, which began with the private ceremonies of the Parentalia. Offerings of food were made at tombs by family members. [back to calendar]Terminalia
XXIII Februarius/February 23: A day sacred to Terminus, the god of boundary stones and markers. Boundary stones themselves are decorated with garlands, and sacrifices and feasts were held at boundary stones by adjacent landowners. A celebration is also held at a boundary stone in the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline Hill in Roma. [back to calendar]Regifugium
XIV Februarius/February 24: Quando rex comitiavit fas; a celebration of the founding of the Republic and the expulsion of the last King of Rome. [back to calendar]Equirria
XXVII Februarius/February 27: A festival of horse racing dedicated to Mars, god of war and agriculture. Established by Romulus himself in the early days of Rome. It is held in the Campus Martius in Roma, or the Campus Martialis if the former is flooded. In the modern world, attending a horse racing event would be quite appropriate. It was held both on the 27th of Februarius and the 14th of Martius. [back to calendar]