by Steven Doyle
When we think of Valentine’s Day we tend to think of chocolate, love, and presents, yet most of us don’t know that Valentine’s Day has its roots in an ancient Roman fertility festival called Lupercalia. It was a festival celebrating early spring, fertility, the ancestors, and love. The ancient priests would sacrifice a goat and then make their way around the perimeter of the city of Rome, lightly tapping women on the way with strips of the blood-soaked goat’s skin. No one thought this was strange, as this was an invitation for the spirits of the ancestors to re-incarnate through the cycle of rebirth and ensure fertility. At the end of the day single girls would write their names and place them into an urn. Each bachelor would pick a name out of the urn and would spend the year with her — thus ensuring fertility for the community. Continue reading
