Latest news with #Lupercalia
Fox News
07-04-2025
- Science
- Fox News
Ancient settlement reveals remains of 1,800-year-old dog, baffling experts: 'Preserved quite well'
Archaeologists recently uncovered the remains of a remarkably well-preserved dog from ancient Rome – and the discovery highlights the prevalence of ritual sacrifice in antiquity. The excavation findings were announced by SOLVA Archaeology Service, a government-affiliated organization in Belgium, on March 21. (See the video at the top of this article.) Archaeologist Arne Verbrugge of Flanders, Belgium, told Fox News Digital that the excavation took place at a former ancient Roman regional center, called a vicus, in the village of Velzeke. Pictures show the dog's mouth largely intact; several teeth were retained, as well as its entire skeleton. The creature was found under a stone floor that aided its preservation, Verbrugge said. "Most of the bone we find in our region from the Roman period is already heavily decayed," he said. "In certain contexts such as wells or ditches, the conservation is slightly better." He added, "Because the dog was buried under a foundation of highly calcareous sandstone, the remains are preserved quite well." Dogs were used in "various ritual practices" in Roman times, the archaeologist said – even considered the "guardian" of a deceased human's grave. The animals were often ritually killed to guide a deceased individual's journey to the afterlife. But it appears the recently found dog was actually sacrificed for a building, rather than a human – which is a rare find in Belgium. "From [the Roman scholar] Varro's work 'De Re Rustica,' it appears that dogs were sometimes used in rituals to purify land and houses," Verbrugge said. "For the building sacrifice of Velzeke, it is likely that before they wanted to erect the building, they first 'purified' the site." He said that "a relationship with 'purification' also appears from the practice of sacrificing dogs (and other animals) at the festival of the Lupercalia in honor of Faunus – associated with fertility and purification – as mentioned by Plutarch." It appears the recently found dog was actually sacrificed for a building. The stone building that the dog was buried under likely had some important purpose, Verbrugge said. This was the first building-related dog sacrifice found in Flanders, though similar instances have been discovered in France and the United Kingdom. "It is possible that the building was larger, but the foundations are not well-preserved everywhere," Verbrugge said. "Stone foundations are not common in the Roman period for this region, and they testify to a certain status of the building. They are only found in villas and public buildings with military, administrative or religious functions." He also said, "The presence of a stone building indicates an important building on the site." The remains of the dog, which were initially studied at the excavation site, will undergo further testing, though Verbrugge noted that the exact breed of the dog is lost to time. "Once the remains are washed, the bones themselves will be examined again," Verbrugge said. "Perhaps certain things can still be deduced from this, such as cause of death, diseases, age, gender and the like. We cannot assign this animal to a specific 'breed,' as [creating] specific breeds is a fairly recent practice." Archaeologists also found a number of other artifacts at the site – including the bones of a different dog, the remains of a young pig, around 33 intact drinking cups and a bronze bowl, though Verbrugge characterized those discoveries as settlement waste or litter rather than ritual offerings. "The finds testify to a rich culture at this place, based on, among other things, imported luxury pottery, jewelry and even some silver coins," he said. "It is striking that the pits often also contain slag or fragments of oven walls, indicating artisanal activities in the immediate vicinity. At one point, ritual or religious activities were carried out on part of the excavation site."
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dark origins of Valentine's Day: Naked men sacrificing animals, hitting women with hides
While Cupid's arrow may sting a little, it pales in comparison to the darker, more brutal traditions of Valentine's Day — where the holiday was once marked by animal sacrifices and grim rituals. That's right — the day of love actually has a dark history that wasn't all chocolates and roses. In fact, romance had very little to do with the holiday. More: A tiny Texas post office stamps 10,000+ letters from across the world each Valentine's Day Dating back to ancient Rome, the holiday originated with the feast of Lupercalia, celebrated from February 13 to 15. According to NPR, Lupercalia was a sacrificial ritual and festival honoring Lupa, the she-wolf who nursed and sheltered Romulus and Remus. The event was also meant to appease Lupercus, the Roman fertility god, according to During the original festival, men would sacrifice a goat and a dog, then run around — often naked or nearly naked — striking women with the hides of the freshly killed animals. Women lined up to be hit, believing it would increase their fertility. Afterward, the women's names were placed in a jar, and men would draw a name to determine their partner for the remainder of the festival. More: Hate your ex? Give a poop-scented candle, name a cockroach after them this Valentine's Day In an attempt to expel pagan rituals, Pope Gelasius combined the festival with St. Valentine's Day in the fifth century, according to the History Channel. It wasn't necessarily associated with romantic love until the 14th and 15th centuries, likely influenced by medieval poets like Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare, who connected the day to courtly love, according to the Delaware News Journal. During the middle ages, lovers and friends began to exchange Valentine's Day cards, according to NPR. It was around 1913 that Valentine's Day literally became a Hallmark holiday. The card maker started to mass-produce valentines, and from that point, romance and commercialism went into overdrive. The holiday is named after Saint Valentine, a martyr from early Christianity. However, there were several saints named Valentine, making it difficult to determine which one is the true namesake. Most legends point to either Saint Valentine of Rome or Saint Valentine of Terni. One legend tells of Saint Valentine, a Roman priest who secretly performed weddings to defy Emperor Claudius II's ban on marriages for young men. For this, he was arrested and executed. Another story focuses on Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop who was also executed for opposing the emperor's orders. Meanwhile, one of the most enduring legends is of an imprisoned Saint Valentine sending a letter to a young girl, signed "From your Valentine," which further contributes to the romantic tradition of the holiday. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: What is the origin of Valentine's Day? From dark day to day of love
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
What to know about Valentine's Day origins: A tame holiday with a wild past
All roads lead to Rome, and that's especially true for Valentine's Day. A USA Today story outlines how the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia is a likely origin of the holiday. The Romans built an empire on "romanizing" local gods and festivals as their influence spread. When the emperor converted to Christianity, many of the holidays common to Roman society received a makeover. A prisoner named "Valentine" was said in one tale to have written a note signed "from your Valentine" to his jailer's daughter, according to the Feb. 13, 2024, article. The martyr's signature of "your Valentine" — at least in the anglicized version of the story — inspired successive generations of lovelorn hopefuls to plead their own cases to the objects of their affection. Lupercalia was too wild for Pope Gelasius I. The festival celebrated spring with fertility rites, including a lottery pairing women with men. So according to the pontiff replaced outlawed Lupercalia and is said to have replaced it with St. Valentine's Day at the end of the fifth century, and to be celebrated on Feb. 14. Officially known as St. Valentine of Rome, the third-century Roman saint is traditionally commonly associated with "courtly love," according to Catholic Online. Not much is known about the man, and there is a real possibility that there were two St. Valentines. Because of that dearth of knowledge, in 1969 he was removed from the Roman Catholic Calendar though the church still recognizes him as a saint. According to exchanging Valentine's took off in the 1700s, a period coinciding with Romanticism in literature and art across Europe and America. When a woman named Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in the 1840s, an industry was born. In the modern era, the holiday has come to represent expressions of love not only between lovers, but friends, family members and even coworkers. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Why was Valentine's Day created? What to know about holidays origins
CBS News
14-02-2025
- General
- CBS News
Why do we celebrate Valentine's Day and who was Saint Valentine?
Each Valentine's Day, millions of Americans gift their partners or loved ones with flowers, cards or candy as a token of their affections on Feb. 14. But while some see it as a commercialized "Hallmark holiday," the occasion actually has ancient roots in Roman history and connections to Saint Valentine. Valentine's Day is the perfect chance to ask someone on a date or to cement a long-lasting commitment to a partner. It could also be a great day to set aside time for yourself or spend a meal with family and friends. Some other Americans, though, rail against a day they feel is an over-commercialization of love, or the holiday might make them feel lonely if they aren't in a pair. A 2024 CBS News/YouGov survey found that 68% of Americans in relationships planned on celebrating Valentine's Day last year, compared with 24% of those not in relationships. Overall, about half of Americans were expected to mark the day. Whether you adore or despise the occasion, you might find its deep and ancient-rooted history surprising. Why do we celebrate Valentine's Day? Since ancient Roman times, people have celebrated a loosely connected festival of love in the second week of February. However, the way people express their love this time of year is "conditioned by the historical circumstances they live in," Yale professor of classics and history Noel Lenski told CBS News. For about a thousand years, starting in the 5th century B.C., Romans celebrated a festival on the 15th of February called Lupercalia, commemorating the founding of Rome and the fertility god Lupercus. This day was essentially a drunken, sexually charged festival at the Palatine Hill in Italy — where men would sacrifice a dog, and with its hide, would beat young women who wanted to be fertile — that lasted until the 5th century C.E. The most famous Lupercalia festival took place a month before Julius Caesar was assassinated on March 15, 44 B.C. when Caesar famously rejected the crown offered by Roman general Mark Antony. After the Catholic Church became the dominant power in Rome, the empire became more "buttoned up," as Professor Lenski characterized it. Pope Gelasius, I ended Rome's Lupercalia Day in the 5th Century. Meanwhile, Christians began to hold a feast on Feb. 14 to celebrate Saint Valentine and the sanctity of marriage. Saint Valentine's feast could have been a replacement for Lupercalia, but Lenski said there's no hard proof of this. A lot about this day is very mysterious. There's a lot historians don't know and where the dots always connect. As culture shifted with time, so did Valentine's Day and gift-giving began in the 14th century, Lenski said. The holiday grew more secular as people of that time seemed to consider the day about love, poetry and gifts. " Valentine's Day is characteristic of the place and time," Lenski said. "It says more about the times than it does about Saint Valentine." Who was Saint Valentine? Lenski said Saint Valentine is more legendary than a real person– actually, two people. Two bishops are associated with Saint Valentine and both were martyrs "who died on behalf of the Christian church in the face of persecution from the Romans," he said. One of the legends, Lenski said, is that a bishop secretly performed marriage ceremonies and a Pagan emperor of Rome killed him for doing so. Father Michael Clark of Saint Paul's Roman Catholic Church in Connecticut disagrees that there were multiple, legendary Saint Valentines. "I have seen his skull with my own eyes," he said. Father Michael said Saint Valentine was one, very real person– or at least the man that the church honored with a feast was no legend. He said he did not know of the secret marriage ceremonies, but Valentine's martyrdom for his religion is what strongly resonated with people. "Martyrdom, the giving up of your life, is uncompromising," said Father Michael. "We want to think of our love as uncompromising, too." He said the person we love is "someone we'd be prepared to give our all for." The Song of Solomon 8:6 from the Bible reads, "love is stronger than death." Father Michael said this quote summarizes why Saint Valentine's message impacted people for so many years. Martyrs show people that love transcends one of the few things that unites us all, being alive. While Saint Valentine's feast is no longer celebrated on Feb. 14 by the church, the celebration of love in the U.S. has continued. Who or what is Cupid? Cupid is not just a Valentine's Day gimmick or cartoon character but also has its history in ancient Rome. Cupid comes from the Latin word Cupido, which means desire, and is the child and assistant of Aphrodite or Venus. Cupid shows us that erotic love has been with the human species since the beginning, said Lenski. Love and desire, he said, are a never-ending theme in literature and human experiences. It has always mystified people and we still don't understand it, truly, today. How do we celebrate Valentine's Day in the U.S. now? Valentine's Day has become a major commercial holiday in the U.S. and the love, or spending rather, keeps on growing. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers are expected to spend a record $27.5 billion on Valentine's Day in 2025. The most popular gifts are likely to be candy, flowers and greeting cards, followed by an evening out and jewelry. But like the Romans or the British during the late Middle Ages, Valentine's Day is a sign of the times for modern-day Americans, too. Lifestyle expert Kathy Copcutt told CBS News that the wildfires that ravaged the L.A. County area in January are impacting how her community is celebrating this year. Copcutt said she and her 11-year-old are meeting with a group of her close friends and their kids for a low-key dinner this year about "celebrating life." She said Valentine's Day is also a great way to "step out" of the stresses of every day and simply gather with the people you love. "I think this year it's more about being surrounded by your loved ones and friends because, thank God, they all made it," she said. "Property can be replaced, but friends and family cannot. I'm holding them all close. Copcutt said she is calling the celebration with family "Falentine's Day." Another popular way to celebrate is doing a "Galentine's Day" with friends. Copcutt suggests indulging in a high tea, which she said is very popular this year. She also emphasized self-love in 2025. "If you can take any day out and take care of yourself, that's great. But if you had to choose a day, I would say Valentine's Day," she said. " Do not be afraid to be alone." Father Michael said that people can't love their neighbor if they don't love themselves. So he also reminds people to "be good to yourself" on Valentine's Day and every day. "You are inherently loveable." Whether you're celebrating with your kids, your partner, yourself or your friends, remember that a celebration of human love has almost always been around and one of the best days to bask in it is on Valentine's Day.
USA Today
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
The history of Valentine's Day: From its pagan origins to a billion-dollar holiday
The history of Valentine's Day: From its pagan origins to a billion-dollar holiday People might be stressed over getting the perfect flowers or card for their partner. But Valentine's Day wasn't always the way it is today. Show Caption Hide Caption New York floral studio spreads love and roses for Valentine's Day Fleurista, a female owned floral studio, gives out free roses before Valentine's Day because flowers make people happy. Valentine's Day is almost here, but it wasn't always the heart-filled, card-giving, chocolate-gifting holiday we know today. Here's everything you should know about the history of the beloved holiday of love. Some people think Valentine's is romantic and adorable, some might think it's only there to remind people that they're single and others might think it's just a result of living in a capitalistic society. Regardless of how you feel, Valentine's has been celebrated in one way or another for hundreds of years. Today, we might celebrate it by making goo-goo eyes at our partners over a bottle of wine, a plate of spaghetti and a bouquet of roses, but ancient Romans celebrated the day with a fertility festival hundreds of years ago with animal sacrifices and drunken merrymaking. So, here's the indulgent and depraved history of the holiday that brought you conversation heart candies that say "cutie" and "bae." Valentine's Day 2025: Where to get heart-shaped pizza, doughnuts, nuggets and more food When is Valentine's Day? Valentine's Day is always on February 14th. In 2025, the holiday just so happens to fall on the Friday ahead of a long weekend for most. Monday Feb. 17 is President's Day. Why is Valentine's Day on February 14th? There are different theories as to why the holiday falls in the middle of February, but the month has always been associated with love and relationships, per the History Channel. Some believe the holiday takes place in February to honor the anniversary of the death of St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, people with epilepsy, and beekeepers, according to Britannica. However, it is also believed that the Catholic Church chose to place St. Valentine's feast in the middle of the short month to "Christianize" the pagan celebration of Lupercalia, a fertility festival, History Channel states. At the end of the 5th century, the celebration of Lupercalia was forbidden by Pope Gelasius I, who is often attributed with replacing it with St. Valentine's Day, according to Britannica. Lupercalia: Valentine's Day pagan connections Lupercalia was a debaucherous festival that celebrated the coming of spring. It included animal sacrifices and drunken revelry to honor Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. Men and women were also paired up together through a lottery system in matches that often led to marriage, according to Lupercalia was celebrated for centuries in the middle of February, eventually transforming into a Christian celebration honoring St. Valentine as the Roman Empire became less pagan. How did Valentine's Day become what we know today? By now, most with significant others (who did NOT procrastinate and wait until the last minute,) have already gone out to buy the requisite greeting cards and chocolates. The flower arrangement deliveries have been arranged and dinner reservations were made well in advance. But the flowers, cards, candies, and teddy bears people buy for their crushes or partners rake in a lot of cash for retailers worldwide. And that doesn't even include what people spend on their Valentine's Day dinner. Many of these money-spending traditions can be traced back to the Middle Ages. You may have read Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" in a high school English literature class, but the poet is also thought to be the source of our modern ideas about Valentine's Day, according to the New York Times. In a 1981 academic article, the late University of Kansas English professor Jack B. Oruch argued that Chaucer's 1375 poem 'Parlement of Foules' was the first to record St. Valentine's Day as a romantic tradition. How much do Americans spend on Valentine's Day? This year, Gen Z plans to spend the most on Valentine's and is expected to budget around $235 for V-Day, a CouponFollow survey found. Around one in 10 Zoomers admitted to overspending. In 2025, consumers are expected to spend $27.5 billion on the holiday, according to the National Retail Federation, NRF. People are expected to spend $10.2 billion more in 2025 than they did in 2014, the NRF stated. But it isn't that huge of a jump from the amount of money people spent in 2020. That year, consumers spent $27.4 billion, $6.7 billion more than they did the year before and $5.6 billion more than the year after. What do people buy the most on Valentine's Day? Can't see the chart? Click here. The three most popular Valentine's Day gifts people are expected to buy this year are the following, according to the NRF: Candy Flowers Cards When did the tradition of Valentine's cards start? First signs of rudimentary Valentine notes began appearing much later, in the 1500s, according to Britannica. By the middle of the 18th century, it became common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes, notes. The first commercial valentines in the United States were printed in the 1840s thanks to Esther A. Howland, known as the 'Mother of the Valentine.' Howland was credited as the first in the U.S. to sell mass-produced valentines made with elaborate lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as 'scrap," according to By the year 1900, printed cards – many featuring the chubby arrow-launching cherub known as Cupid – began to replace written letters as printing technology improved thanks to a burgeoning company that would one day become Hallmark. Today, that same company estimates that 145 million Valentine's Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day second only to Christmas in terms of card-sending holidays. Where is Valentine's Day celebrated? These days, Valentine's Day is not just celebrated in the United States, but in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia, too. February 14 is a way millions across the globe demonstrate their feelings of love and romance. Contributing: Rachel Barber, USA TODAY
