Februalia
A feast at Rome of purification and atonement, in the month of February; it continued for
twelve days. The month of February, which, together with January, was added by Numa to the ten
months constituting the year of Romulus, derived its name from this general expiatory
festival, the people being then purified (
februati) from the sins of the
whole year (Ovid,
Fast. ii. 19).