Happy Lupercalia!
Lupercalia circa 100 B.C.E.
I didn’t do much for Valentine’s yesterday, but Lupercalia is a big deal in our house. This morning we sacrificed a toy stuffed goat, smeared ketchup on our foreheads, and then ran through the woods with our goat thongs (actually canvas) whipping the trees so they would be fertile. Molly and I did this, that is. She especially liked the part with the thongs.
I apologize for my extended absence. It was unavoidable, I assure you. And for those of you who were trapped in the mod queue, the prison doors have now swung wide. Freedom!
8 Responses to “Happy Lupercalia!”
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Cyn says:
So glad you are back and the big giant head is gone.
I celebrated Lupercelia a day late, as I didn’t know it existed. We gave it our all by paying homage to the basil plant and anointing ourselves with extra virgin olive oil.
The cat is peeved as we couldn’t find his hair shirt and he was forced to run through the forest with a chunk of lasagna on his back. I don’t think he’ll ever be up for this again.
Oh, and welcome back!
February 15th, 2009 at 7:49 pm EST -
mj says:
wow…i really need to do some research–im obviously missing some important holidays on my calendar (& it is a pagan calendar…) im gonna go make a thong out of dog hair & give my rosemary plant a good smack.
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Sherry says:
Whew! sooo glad you’re back, Violet! Hope all’s well with you and yours..
Now, I’m off to google Lupercalia.
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bob coley jr says:
HOODIE-HOO!
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Violet says:
MJ, I note that proper observance of Lupercalia would actually entail smacking other people with the thongs, but Molly and I made do with the trees because there are no people around here to smack.
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Violet says:
Lupercalia, for those who don’t know, was a Roman fertility festival. The designated lupe dudes would strip naked and race around smacking willing women with goatskin thongs (from a sacrificed goat) so the ladies would be fertile. It was all very wild and involved a great deal of nudity.
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sister of ye says:
As I was reading, I saw “thongs” and pictured you and Molly running thru the woods wearing them, which would fit in with the spirit of the day, though it might be a bit chilly this time of year, at least where I live.
I celebrated the day in my preferred way, which was hobbling to the store to buy Valentine’s Day chocolates at 50% off.
I encountered no guy trying to hit me with a goat thong, which was fine, since I’m not interested in fertility at this point in my life. In fact, had some guy tried it, I would have hit him with my cane in a spot that definitely would not have ensured his fertility, at least for the remainder of the day.
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bluelyon says:
Is bob a Top Chef fan?
