Lupercalia: Please, Honey...Not the Chocolates this Year

It's often asserted that the early Christians made sure to have their holidays fall at close to the same time as previously-existing pagan holidays. That way, converts wouldn't feel so bad about missing out on their favorite feasts from days of yore that were now discredited by their new religion. Missing your wintertime festival of Saturnalia? No problem, we'll make sure Christmas is around the same time. Worried about a depressing spring without a big fete for the vernal equinox? Hold on, we'll make sure we observe the resurrection at about that same time.

I know my tone is casual, but my point is not to disrespect to anyone's faith. Of course I think it is important that people are free to joyfully uphold their spirituality through the observation of sacred events.

But back to the synchronicity of dates: The Feast of Saint Valentine coincides with Lupercalia, an ancient pagan celebration which was partially in honor of Lupa, the fertile, life-giving mother-wolf. The rituals around the celebration of Lupercalia were sort of like a spiritual spring cleaning. This newly clean state, then, might restore fertility to the world, literally, or at least ensure a lush and verdant spring. We can also see that promoting romantic love might also restore fertility to the world, which is why the early Christians got no argument putting this love-and-marriage-promoting saint's day on the calendar at this time of year.

This is a lot of introduction to tell you that I love the idea of the Lupercalian spring-cleaning. After a long holiday season of rich, braised meats, hearty drinks, and flourless chocolate tortes, I am ready to practice some more discipline, especially if that restores a little "spring" in my step!

I've gotten a head-start on my Lupercalian spring-cleaning. I had just been feeling draggy and a little TOO well-fed lately. So, I've been reining it in...cleaning house, if you will. I'm putting the buttered bagels away for the moment and leaning towards the tangy citrus. I'm drinking more water. The ultra-light grilled chicken pitas with tzatziki I made for dinner tonight really hit the spot.

St. Valentine would probably understand my enthusiasm for Lupercalia. After all he must know that being/feeling healthy and vibrant puts far more love in our hearts than an almost-expired box of Russell Stover from the corner drug store.