Lupercalia
/ˌluːpəˈkeɪlɪə
/(also in singular Lupercal /ˈluːpəkal/)
plural noun [usually treated as singular]
An ancient Roman festival of purification and fertility, held annually on 15 February.Valentine's Day has its origins in the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia, an annual festival held on Feb.15 to help keep dangerous wolves away from townspeople and their crops....
- However, the customs connected with the day also probably derive from an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia, which took place every February 15.
- February 15 was the date of the Roman festival of Lupercalia - the Wolf - where young men held a lottery to decide which girl would be theirs.
Derivatives
Lupercalian
- Anyway, it seems the Lupercalian festival changed as the Romans moved north into France and Britain.
- It became associated with Lupercalian festivals and, as a result, was condemned by the early Christian Church.
- The date fell during the Roman Lupercalian celebrations, which were associated with fertility and sexuality.
Origin
Latin, neuter plural of lupercalis 'relating to Lupercus', Roman equivalent of the Greek god Pan.
Rhymes
- multiple fruit
- multiple gene
- multiple image
- multiple injuries
- multiple integral
- multiple-launch
- multiple listing
- multiple-mirror
- multiple myeloma
- multiple neuritis
- multiple occupancy
- multiple occupation
- multiple orgasm
- multiple ownership
- multiple-personality disorder
- multiple-phase
- multiplepoinding
- multiple point
- multiple pregnancy
- multiple resistance
- multiple-resistant
- multiple rocket launcher
- multiple scattering
- multiple sclerosis
- multiple shift