THE MEANING OF MONTHS: FEBRUARY

Since early in Roman history March was the start of the New Year, the period of February was a time to get rid of the old and prepare for the new. 

When the Julian calendar was created in 46 BC, the lunar calendar was replaced with a solar calendar and February became the month that could be shortened from 28 - 23 days. Thus making it the only month that had the possibility of having no full moon at all. Lupercalia continued to be celebrated on February 15th, (a period either proximate to or covering modern Valentine's Day) regardless of the full moon.

The word February is born from the Latin word Februarius, from Latin februare meaning to "purify" or "expiate." In ancient Rome, Februarius was the "Month of Purification" and great festivities were held to reestablish the empire's focus on righteous living.


 Lupercalia  was a fertility rite in honor of the gods Lupercus (god of shepherds), Faunus (associated with Pan) and the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. 
The celebration began at the Lupercal cave, where the wolf Lupa was said to have suckled the infants Romulus and Remus. 
Afterwards, priests would sacrifice two male goats (symbol of fertility) and a dog (symbol of protection) to the gods, anoint themselves with the blood, and run through the streets whipping onlookers with a thong made from the goat's skin, which was called Februa. The whipping was believed to help ease childbirth and promote fertility.

Goats and the Lupercalia

Goats are symbols of sexuality and fertility.  One of the most lascivious of the gods was Pan/Faunus, represented as having horns and a caprine bottom half. Ovid (through whom we are chiefly familiar with the events of the Lupercalia) names him as the god of the Lupercalia. 

Julius Caesar, Father of Leap Year
Julius Caesar was behind the origin of leap year in 45 BC. The early Romans had a 355 day calendar and to keep festivals occurring around the same season each year a 22 or 23 day month was created every second year. Julius Caesar decided to simplify things and added days to different months of the year to create the 365 day calendar, the actual calculation were made by Caesar's astronomer, Sosigenes. Every fourth year following the 28th day of Februarius (February 29th) one day was to be added, making every fourth year a leap year.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII further refined the calendar with the rule that leap day would occur in any year divisible by 4 as described above.