Evening star., 1933-02-01
FEBRUARY DATES
FROMNUMA'SRE|GN
Was Put at End of Year When
January Became First
Month in 713 B.C.
BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.

February, like January, is a new
month in the formal calendar. It was
not included in the subdivisions of the
year traditionally supposed to have been
arranged by Romulus, one of the twin
founders of Rome.
Not until the reign of Numa, about
713 BIC, was it added, with January
to the ten months of the earlier sched-
ule, and even then it was placed at the
end of the list, while January held the
first position 1t was as late as 452 BIC,
most authorities agree, that the decem-
virs ordered it to be the second month.
The name derives from "februa," a
Sabine word meaning "purification." A
famous festival, known as the Luper-
calia. was held in very ancient times
under the auspices of the priests of
Pan Lyceus, and the rites performed at
that feast were known as 'purifcation
rites" Plutarch saws that the celebra-
ton was instituted by Romulus, but
Iivy thought it had been brought into
NAV have been the festival was held
annually on February Is.
The Lupercalia is among the most
obscure and mysterious of Roman cere-
monials. The priests in charge were
known as Luperci, signifying the ''wolf
averters" Goats and dogs were sacri-
fled. and the celebratorS ran in two
bands round the walls of the old Pala-
tine CITY, apparently striking all whom
thev encountered in their wild flight
The feast ives continued until 494
AID. when Pope Gelasius reformed it
into mere dignified Feast of Purifica-
ton.
Confusion Exists.
Some confusion exists as to the dis
tinction between the Lupercalia and
similar. if not an identical. feast known
as the Februalia. when tribute was paid
to deceased persons.
But the connection between February
and the custom of publication is an
historic fact about which there is NO
controversy. The Latin word "februare"
means ito purify"
The month always has been the
shortest Of the year. as well as the only
month whose number of days is changed
in leap year When first established it
regularly had 90 days: but when the
Senate decreed that the eighth month
should bear the name of Augustus
Caesar, day was taken from February
and given to August. which until then
had only 80 days. Since that time Feb
ruary has been Cnly % days long, ex-
cept in bissextile years, when it con-
sists of % days.
Among the Ang'o-Saxons February
was called Sprout-Kale, from the
sprouting of cabbage at this season.
In the Christian calendar the month
contains two important feasts-Candle-
mas day, February 2 and st. Valen-
tines day. February IA.
The former Of these commentaries
IN the Greek church the presentation
OF Christ in the temple, and in the
Western church the publication of the
Blessed Virgin It was established
throughout the Ea:tern empire by JUS
tinian in 542 A. D. A procession be-
came a prominent feature of the fes-
tival In the West in the time Of Pope
Serg1us (687-70D. After the eleventh
century the blessing of candles was a
common feature
Christianization Seen.
Some writers believe that Candlemas
Is merely Christianization of the old
Lupercalia. Pope Innocent XIII Is re-
ported to have said in the course of a
sermon: why do we in this feast carry
candles? Because the Gentiles dedi-
Gated the month of February to internal
gods, and as at the beginning of it
Pluto stole Proserpine, and her mother
SSico oousNG IleI Ill UllS IllSllG WIFI
lighted candles. so they at the begin
ming of this month. walked about the
city with lighted candles. Because the
holy fathers could not extirpate the
custom. they ordained that Christians
should carry candles in honor of the
Blessed Virgin, and thus what was done
before to the honor of Ceres is now
done to the honor of the Virgin"
Candlemas is everywhere great day
for weather prognostications. But. it is
said. these representations, like dreams,
60 by contraries, fine weather on Can
dlemas foretelling a succession of un-
saaconably cold days and necessarily
failure of the crops, while bad weather
On that day is supposed to be sure
promise of bright Spring. with.
Summer to match.
In Germany centuries ago the badger
was thought to peep out of his hole on
CandlemaS day. If he saw the sun
shining, he drew back. The badger was
thus. the NEUROLOGICAL ancestors of the
ground hog of the German communities
of Pennsylvania and the Middle West.
st. Valentines day, also, is consid-
cred Christian successor to the
LupercaGa of the heather Romans.
Alban Butler, in his Lives of the
Saints" says that Christian pastors by
every means in their power worked