Plans for Lupercalia?

[Witch]

So, with Lupercalia less than a week away, I do hope everyone has made plans to celebrate with their significant other/s.

So what's up? What exactly will you be doing to try to get laid on Lupercalia?

[tenkani]

What is it??[/DIV]Yes, I could wiki/google it but I think I'll like your explanation better.

[Witch]

It's what Valentines day was before The Catholic Church and Hallmark dumbed it down and girlied it up.

I'll see if I can find a link, I'm too lazy to type today.

[Witch]

From Wikipedia.com

The Lupercalia was an annual [A title="Ancient Rome" href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Rome"]Roman[/A] festival held on [A title="February 15" href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_15"]February 15[/A] to honour [A title=Faunus href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faunus"]Faunus[/A], god of fertility and forests. [A title="Justin Martyr" href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Martyr"]Justin Martyr[/A] identified Faunus as Lupercus, 'the one who wards off the [A title=Wolf href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf"]wolf[/A]', but his identification is not supported by any earlier classical sources. The festival was celebrated near the cave of [A title=Lupercal href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupercal"]Lupercal[/A] on the [A title="Palatine Hill" href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatine_Hill"]Palatine[/A] (one of the seven [A title="Roman hills" href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_hills"]Roman hills[/A]), to expiate and purify new life in the [A title="Spring (season)" href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_%28season%29"]Spring[/A]. This festival's origins are older than the [A title="Founding of Rome" href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founding_of_Rome"]founding of Rome[/A].

The religious ceremonies were directed by the Luperci, the "brothers of the wolf", priests of Faunus, dressed only in a goatskin. During Lupercalia, a dog and two male goats were [A title=Sacrifice href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacrifice"]sacrificed[/A]. Two [A title=Patrician href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrician"]patrician[/A] youths were anointed with the blood, which was wiped off with [A title=Wool href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wool"]wool[/A] soaked in [A title=Milk href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk"]milk[/A], after which they were expected to smile and laugh. The Luperci afterwards dressed themselves in the skins of the sacrificed goats, in imitation of Lupercus, and ran round the Palatine Hill with thongs cut from the skins in their hands. These were called Februa. Girls would line up on their route to receive lashes from these whips. This was supposed to ensure fertility. The name of the month of [A title=February href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February"]February[/A] is derived from the Latin februare, "to purify" (meant as one of the effects of fever, which has the same linguistic root).

Quite frankly it's a much better holiday than chocolates and cheap cardboard greeting cards... IMHO

[Sportsdude]

if neo-cons ever discovered the meanings of the months of the year they would probly petition to change them.

[tenkani]

Wow! That's the sexiest holiday EVAR!!

Oh, and the wikipedia article has an image of pan copulating with a goat if anybody's interested. Hmmm, good stuff, Witch! And I agree, Valentine's day is just one more marketing ploy. I boycott most holidays, especially those created and/or pushed by Christians or corporate America. Lupercalia, though...I might just have to pay homage to.

[Witch]

Wow! That's the sexiest holiday EVAR!!

 

You might want to hold that thought. Ostara and Beltaine are still to come.

 

[Future Canadian]

I can't think of much that's sexier than flogging beautiful young Roman maidens in the forest. [/DIV]Man, they got to have all the fun didn't they?

[tenkani]

"I can't think of much that's sexier than flogging beautiful young Roman maidens in the forest." ROFL. Thanks. I didn't want to be the one to say it...    

[Future Canadian]

I chickened out twice on posting that before I did. But it did need to be said didn't it?

[tenkani]

You are a braver man than I.[/DIV]
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.
-George Orwell

[Witch]

I have two teenage daughters. When they need a whippin', I tell them it's to promote fertility. When they bring home boyfriends, I take the lads out back and give them a taste of the lash too..... that's to prevent fertility.

[kitten]

]
I have two teenage daughters. When they need a whippin', I tell them it's to promote fertility. When they bring home boyfriends, I take the lads out back and give them a taste of the lash too..... that's to prevent fertility.[/DIV]
 What a wonderful way to maintain balance!

[P.C.]

A whipping with wool soaked in milk ?   Sounds kind of  earthy.......wholesome even. [img style="CURSOR: pointer" onclick=url(this.src); src="vny!://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/smilie/konfus/a100.gif" border=0]

[P.C.]

"Quite frankly it's a much better holiday than chocolates and cheap cardboard greeting cards... IMHO"

I do believe I agree with you Witch, in spite of the fact that I'm sitting here at my desk making cheap cardboard valentines[img style="CURSOR: pointer" onclick=url(this.src); src="vny!://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/smilie/liebe/a038.gif" border=0]