February -- month of Februa

DATE	HOLIDAY	DESCRIPTION
February 1-3	Mysteries of Persephone Satanic Revels	Feast of Satan's Bride (sexual holiday: young girls are to be gotten pregnant to provide infants for sacrifice in the fall)(sexual - oral/anal/vaginal - use female 7-17)
February 2	Imbolc	Neo Pagan, Wicca reflection on the power of the gods from which physical and spiritual harvest will come. (Druid Earth Mother) Reflection on the power of the gods from which physical and spiritual harvest will come. Imbolc was a fire festival, celebrated with hilltop bonfires. It was also the day when people stopped using candles indoors because the days were getting longer. The fields were purified and blessed with candlelight processions, Yuletide greens were burned, and people cleaned and purified their homes. This custom lingers on as spring cleaning. Imbolc was an auspicious day to forecast weather. If the day was cloudy and wintry, then winter was exhausting itself and spring could begin. The Celtic forerunners of the groundhog were hibernating hedgehogs.Hence the modern holiday of Groundhog Day.
February 2	Jesus in the Temple	Christian feast day commemorating the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of the infant Jesus Christ in the Temple. This is also the time when church candles are blessed. February 2 is exactly forty days after Christ's birth on December 25. That was the time that Mary went to the Temple for the traditional purification bath after giving birth. She presented the baby Jesus at the temple, and Luke describes a meeting with an old man, Simeon, who called Jesus a light to enlighten the Gentiles. By the middle of the fifth century, candles were lit on this day to symbolize that Jesus Christ was the light, the truth, andthe way. Altar candles for the whole year were blessed at Candlemas. Candles distributed after the service were taken home and kept since they were believed to have healing and protective powers.
February 2	Candlemas	Christian celebration of the presentation of young Jesus in the temple to the aged Simeon. New beginnings are recognized. Candles are lighted. Wicca (pagan) celebration of the return of the sun and lengthening of days. Candlemas is halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox and signals the beginning of spring in the Celtic calendar. It was called Imbolc in pre-Christian times, meaning in the belly of the Mother, because seeds were starting to germinate and the sheep were pregnant. This time was sacred to Brigit, the Earth Mother and goddess of fire, water, healing, poetry, and fertility.
February 2	Saint Brighid of Kildare Day	Christian recognition of Brighid who displayed unusual compassion. She was brought up as a Druid and became Christian. Brigit, being the goddess of fertility, was especially important to brides or would-be brides. Young girls would make straw beds for Brigit near the hearth and leave milk and cookies for her, in the hopes that she would visit and bless them with fertility in the spring. This association seems to have been incorporated into Valentine's Day, rather than into Candlemas. Brigit was transformed into the Christian St. Brigit, who supposedly was converted from Druidism by St. Patrick. She remained associated with miracles and fertility.
February 2 - 5	Id al-Adha	Islamic day to remember Abraham and the almost sacrifice of Isaac.. Meat is given to the poor.
February 3	Four Chaplains Sunday	Interfaith Commemoration of the event in World War II when four Chaplains of Jewish and Christian traditions (Catholic and Protestant) gave their life jackets to others as a troop ship sank in the Atlantic Ocean. See the Immortal Chaplains web site at http://www.immortalchaplains.org/home.
February	Chinese Lantern Festival	Lantern Festival is on the 15th day of the first month (i.e. at the full moon)
February 6	Waitangi Day	Commemorates the Treaty of Waitangi between the Maoris and the British, signed in 1840. Also known as New Zealand Day.
February 8 04	Tu B'Shevat	Jewish celebration of the coming of spring by preparation of foods native to Israel. It is also known as "New Year for Trees" - a method for determining the age of trees for tithing purposes.
February	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Carnival	(2 weeks from official start of Lent) Be-Shaliah
February 12	President Lincoln's birthday	Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky in 1809. It was first publicly observed in 1887 by the Republican Club of New York City, and designated as a legal holiday in Illinois in 1892. It may also be celebrated as President's Day or Washington-Lincoln Day in conjunction with George Washington's birthday.
February 14	St. Valentine's Day	Valentine was one of the earlier Christian saints. He was a priest in ancient Rome and was martyred for his faith in 270 AD. He incurred the wrath of the Emperor Claudius by helping young lovers to marry against his wishes and ended up being beheaded for his troubles. Before his execution, Valentine had fallen in love with his jailer's daughter and signed his final note to her "From Your Valentine", a phrase that has lasted through the centuries. Christian celebration of the love of God presented in Jesus and in the lives of Christian believers. St Valentine was a 3rd century martyr. This day is widely observed in the USA as a secular celebration of love. (the shedding of blood and infant sacrifice)Read more here
February 15	Lupercalia	The customs of Valentine's Day may go back to the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, which was held annually on February 15 and honored Lupercus, The customs of Lupercalia included boys drawing girls' names from a box, which would In 494 [496?], Bishop Gelasius replaced Lupercalia with the Feast of the Purification An ancient Roman festival held annually in honor Lupercus [aka Faunus], the god of fertility, woodlands, and pastures. Lupercalia is older than Rome itself. The festivities were run by the Luperci, or "Brotherhood of the Wolf". Two male goats and a dog were sacrificed, and the blood of the goats was smeared on the foreheads of two youths with a knife. The knife was then wiped on wool dipped in milk, and the youths were required to laugh. The Luperci, who administered the rites, were crowned, anointed, and wore only an apron of goatskin. Women would line up along the road to receive lashes from the whips to insure fertility. Bishop [pope] Gelasius replaced the Lupercalia with the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin in A.D. 494, or Candlemas, which was first observed on February 14 [15?]. Customs of Lupercalia have been carried over into Valentine's Day, Candlemas, Feast of the Nativity and possibly also Carnival. (She-wolf mother of Romulus & Remus - honoring of Pan)
February 14 - 15	Trifon Zarezan	A Roman feriliity festival A Roman Dionysus festival (the shedding of blood and infant sacrifice)
February 15	National Flag Day Canada Meat Fare Nirvana Day	Orthodox Christian Buddhist - a regional observance of the death of Buddha.
February 15	Sexagesima Sunday	second Sunday before Lent
February ?	President's Day	(US)
February 18	Maha Shivaratri	A Hindu festival in honor of Lord Shiva and his marriage to Goddess Parvati. Ceremonies involving prayers and hymns take place mostly at night. Special foods are not used.
February 21 - 22	Feralia / Terminalia	(Roman All Souls / boundary day - candles & rocks)
February 22	Washington's Birthday	(US)
(February 22, 2004)	Hijra	New Year - Islam
(February 22 - 23, 2004)	Rosh Chodesh Adar	Jewish
3 days Preceding Ash Wednesday	Shrovetide	Witches Sabbat The 3 days: Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, & Shrove Tuesday More here
February	Mardi Gras Pancake Tuesday Binche Carnival in Belgium	The last day of Shrovetide. Is French for "fat Tuesday". Christian carnival day on the eve of Ash Wednesday, which begins Lent, a time of fasting and devotions. Pancakes are often served. It is also known as Fat Tuesday in some places. (Gilles men dress like the Incas of Peru) Satanist and Dionysian revels are celebrated. This Tuesday is usually the last day of these festivals. St Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist - Christian
February 25	Feast of Saint Walburga	February 25 and May 1. Daughter of St Richard, a Saxon Prince in Wessex. She died in the year 776 as Abbess of Heidenheim. Protectress against magic arts (Blood holiday: communion of blood and dismemberment, host of blood and dismemberment - use animal)
February	Ash Wednesday	46 days before Easter (Feb 25, 2004). The Day of Ashes, is the first day of Lent, occuring forty days before Easter not counting Sundays. The ancient custom on this day is for the faithful to receive on the forehead the sign of a cross marked with blessed ashes. The palms from the previous Palm Sunday are burned and the ashes are blessed for the ceremony before the Mass.
(February 29, 2004)	Orthodox Sunday	first Sunday of Lent (Feb 29, 2004). Commemorates the restoration of the use of icons in the church (842 AD), and the triumph over all heresies.
February 29	Leap Year	Occurs every fourth year, except for century years unless also divisible by 400. Thus, 1996 is a leap year, 2000 is a leap year, but 2100 and 2200 are not. In Britain it was once the custom that a woman was free to propose to a man during a leap year, and if he declined, he would have to give her a silk dress. In Scotland the woman was supposed to wear a scarlet flannel petticoat as a warning.
February 29	Leap Day	Also called Bachelors' Day. A day of supposed immunity for unmarried men during Leap Year, a year during which bachelors are traditionally regarded as "fair game" for dates and proposals of marriage by women.

Holidays and Festivals - Encyclopedia of Days

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