February is a particular month: the shortest of the year, the last of winter, often associated with rebirth and preparation for spring. Its name has deep roots in history and ancient traditions, and the symbolic meaning that it carries is closely linked to purification and renewal.
The origins of the name
Have you ever wondered what are the origins of the month of February and why are you called just like that? Obviously it is no coincidence: the word “February”, explains the Accademia della Crusca, derives from the Latin -“Februarius, derivative of februus ‘purifying’ -.
In this month of the year, which in the ancient Roman calendar was the last and not the second as in the Giuliano and Gregorian calendar, in fact, body and spirit purification rites were celebrated to prepare for the new year and attract their luck.
The month was dedicated to febris, goddess of fever associated with healing by malaria, a name probably derived from the Etruscan februus, God of death and purification.
The celebrations that saw her protagonist reached the culmination on February 14 with the Februalia, holidays during which sacrifices were performed to obtain the protection of divinity and propitiate luck and rebirth in view of the new month on the way.
As Romano Empire explains, the cult of Febris, with the advent of Christianity, was replaced by the cult of Santa Febronia, then moved to June 25. On the other hand, on the 14th he became Valentine’s day, in the name of the “love fever”.
Symbolically February is therefore the month that marks the transition from the dark winter to the resurgence of nature and life, an ideal moment to purify itself from what has been and with winter heaviness, preparing to welcome the new. It is the ideal period to get rid of what is no longer needed in view of a new regenerating cycle.
Amethyst and Viola are respectively the precious stone and the flower associated with this month of the year.
February in the Christian tradition: the candlestick
With the spread of Christianity, many pagan holidays were absorbed and reinterpreted in a Christian key. An evident example is the candlemower, celebrated on February 2, which symbolizes Mary’s purification after the birth of Jesus.
According to the Jewish law, a woman was considered impure for 40 days after childbirth and had to go to the temple to purify himself. The Candelora, therefore, was born as a feast linked to purification and light, a recurring element in the celebrations of this period. The name itself derives from the custom of blessing and turning candles, considered a symbol of protection and spiritual renewal.
February and the rites of the purification
During the month of February, the Romans celebrated several purification rites, the best known of which were the februalia and the Lupercali.
The februalia were atonement rituals in which tools called “februa” were used, such as animal skins, lustral water and bay branches, to purify people and environments. The rite ended with sacrifices to the gods, asking for protection and luck for the new year coming.
The Lupercali, celebrated on February 15, were instead a holiday of purification related to fertility and protection against evil. Young priests, called Luperci, ran on the streets of Rome, hitting the women they encountered, in a symbolic gesture aimed at guaranteeing their fertility and protection with strips of goat skin. This celebration had archaic origins and took place on the Palatine, the place where, according to legend, the she -wolf had attached Romolo and Remo.
These traditions, albeit apparently distant, still find an echo in our culture today. The concept of purification of February has partly transformed with the advent of Christianity, however maintaining its original meaning.
January, the month of the god Giano is the ideal time to reflect on the past year and prepare for a new beginning
