Lupercalia, as described in the Sabrina series on Netflix, is celebrated at the same time as Valentine’s day. This is somewhat true. It’s indeed celebrated from February 13-15. Lupercalia is an ancient Roman festival that honors Romulus and Remus who were saved by a she-wolf named Lupercal when they were abandoned by their parents.
2 groups of priests, descendants of Romulus and descendants of Remus, will meet in a Palatine cave where they will start to celebrate the festival. They will sacrifice a dog, like a resemblance of the she-wolf, and a goat. They will trace the dog's blood on their forehead and wash it off with goat’s milk. After the sacrifice, they will take off their clothes and run in the streets of ancient Rome where they will be whipped while running through the streets. They believed that getting whipped will bring them good luck and fertility. Men will also be partnered with women and they will have to stay together until the next year’s festival in which some of them actually fell in love with each other.
In the Sabrina series on Netflix, the witches celebrated the same thing, except that they celebrated it in the woods and they ran with their lingerie on. They ran and find their match. Whoever they find should stay with each other naked all night. It's all about fertility too. Some of them have sex that night with their partner.
Lupercalia is no longer celebrated now, I think, but I read that some non-Christians still celebrate in private for this occasion. And since Lupercalia is a festival about fertility, and Valentine’s day is somewhat about fertility too and partnering, it looks like we are still celebrating this festival in a different way minus the sacrifice part.
I find Lupercalia fascinating and intriguing. And I am at awe when I found out that Lupercalia in the said series is bloody real. It's so cool that I am starting to learn some history with just watching a series that I didn't know has scenes based on real events.I have yet to find more information about it. And I plan to study it more. I will keep you posted on what I will find out more about this festival.
Ohh that's pretty cool! So is lupercilla somewhat a pagan celebration or what? Since it's kind of a non Christian celebration and all