Veneralia
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| - | '''April Fools' Day''' or '''All Fools' Day''', although not a [[holiday]], is a day celebrated in many countries on [[April 1]]. The day is marked by the commission of [[hoax]]es and other [[practical joke]]s of varying sophistication on [[friendship|friends]], [[kinship|family members]], [[rival|enemies]], and [[Neighborhood|neighbors]], or sending them on a [[snipe hunt|fool's errand]], the aim of which is to [[embarrassment|embarrass]] the gullible. [[Tradition]]ally, in some countries, the jokes only last until [[noon]]: like the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa, someone who plays a trick after noon is called an "April Fool". | + | |
| + | The '''Veneralia''' was an ancient [[Roman festival]] celebrated April 1 (the [[Kalends]] of ''[[Aprilis]]'') in honor of [[Venus (mythology)|Venus Verticordia]] ("[[Venus (mythology)|Venus]] the changer of hearts") and [[Fortuna Virilis]] ("Manly" or "Virile Fortune"). | ||
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| + | The cult of Venus Verticordia was established in 220 BC, during the last years of Rome's [[Punic Wars]], in response to advice from a Sibylline oracle, when a series of [[Glossary of ancient Roman religion#prodigium|prodigies]] was taken to signify divine displeasure at sexual offenses among Romans of every category and class, including several men and three [[Vestal Virgins]]. Her statue was dedicated by a young woman, chosen as the most ''[[Pudicitia|pudica]]'' (sexually pure) in Rome by a committee of Roman matrons. At first, the statue was probably housed within the temple to Fortuna Virilis. This cult, much older than any cult to Venus{{cn|date=April 2013}} but possibly perceived as weak or gone to seed, may have benefited from the moral and religious support of Venus as a relatively new but senior deity; for [[Ovid]], Venus's acceptance of the epithet and its responsibilities represented the goddess' own change of heart. In 114 BC Venus Verticordia was given her own temple. She was meant to persuade Romans of both sexes and every class, whether married or unmarried, to cherish the traditional sexual proprieties and [[Mos maiorum|morality]] known to please the gods and benefit the State. During the Veneralia, her cult image was taken from her temple to the men's baths, where it was undressed and washed in warm water by her female attendants, then garlanded with [[Venus (mythology)#Sacred signs|myrtle]]. At the Veneralia, women and men asked Venus Verticordia for her help in affairs of the heart, sex, betrothal and marriage. [[Fortuna (luck)|Fortuna Virilis]] was given cult on the same day. | ||
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| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| - | * [[List of April Fool's Day jokes]] | + | * [[April Fools' Day]] |
| - | * [[List of practical joke topics]] | + | |
| - | * [[Veneralia]] | + | |
| {{GFDL}} | {{GFDL}} | ||
Revision as of 10:42, 11 April 2014
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The Veneralia was an ancient Roman festival celebrated April 1 (the Kalends of Aprilis) in honor of Venus Verticordia ("Venus the changer of hearts") and Fortuna Virilis ("Manly" or "Virile Fortune").
The cult of Venus Verticordia was established in 220 BC, during the last years of Rome's Punic Wars, in response to advice from a Sibylline oracle, when a series of prodigies was taken to signify divine displeasure at sexual offenses among Romans of every category and class, including several men and three Vestal Virgins. Her statue was dedicated by a young woman, chosen as the most pudica (sexually pure) in Rome by a committee of Roman matrons. At first, the statue was probably housed within the temple to Fortuna Virilis. This cult, much older than any cult to VenusTemplate:Cn but possibly perceived as weak or gone to seed, may have benefited from the moral and religious support of Venus as a relatively new but senior deity; for Ovid, Venus's acceptance of the epithet and its responsibilities represented the goddess' own change of heart. In 114 BC Venus Verticordia was given her own temple. She was meant to persuade Romans of both sexes and every class, whether married or unmarried, to cherish the traditional sexual proprieties and morality known to please the gods and benefit the State. During the Veneralia, her cult image was taken from her temple to the men's baths, where it was undressed and washed in warm water by her female attendants, then garlanded with myrtle. At the Veneralia, women and men asked Venus Verticordia for her help in affairs of the heart, sex, betrothal and marriage. Fortuna Virilis was given cult on the same day.
See also
