History of

Valentine’s Day

• Key Idea
and Details
• Passage
• Questions
• Answer Key

Grade 6-8
Reading Comprehension
Passage: The Origin of
Valentine’s Day Part 1
The Origin of Valentine’s Day Part 1

The word for “wolf” in Latin is lupus. The word

lupus gives us the name of a Roman festival
from 2000 years ago. This festival was held on
what is now February 15th. Some people believe
this holiday was the beginning of Valentine’s
Day. The holiday helped Romans remember the
story of Rome’s beginning.

The city of Rome is said to have been founded

by twins, Romulus and Remus, who were raised
by a she-wolf. Even today, you can see the cave
where the boys were found. The cave is in the
middle of the city, near the palace of the
emperors. The festival which centered on the
cave was called the Lupercalia (Loo-per-cal-
ee—uh), the “Festival of the Wolf.”
During the Lupercalia, a group of young men
would sacrifice a goat and dog under the
supervision of a chief priest. Then the young
men would run about the marketplace, hitting
bystanders with leather cords. These cords were
called “februa” (thus February, the month in
which the festival occurred.)
As ancient historians tell it, the young men
would run counterclockwise, yelling. They
would throw off much of their clothing.
This seems it would be frightening to those
watching. But watchers considered being
hit with the februa to be good luck. It was
especially good luck for women desiring
the birth of children. So, this Pre-
Valentine’s Day event was not for finding a
Valentine. Instead, it was for producing
healthy children for couples who were
already married.
Reading Level: 6.7
255 words
The Origin of Valentine’s Day Part 1
The Lupercalia
Question Set

1. The festival was called the Lupercalia

because
a. Lupus was the word for wolf
b. Lupus was the word for wolf and the festival
remembered two boys raised by a wolf
c. Romans worshipped wolves
d. The festival was rather loopy, all that
running around hitting people with cords

2. The link between the Lupercalia and

Valentines Day is:
a. Running around creating mayhem
b. The reference to wolves in the ceremony
c. The fact that both occurred in February
d. The fact that both occurred in February and
the link with romance – although the
Lupercalia concerned romance’s result, not
the beginning.
3. One difference between Roman religion and
common religions practiced today is:
a. The existence of priests
b. Holding a group worship service on a set day
c. That they use stories to explain the religion
d. Performing animal sacrifice

1. The main purpose of this text is:

a. To help plan religious rituals
b. To explain the beginnings of a modern
holiday
c. To teach about how animals contributed to
ancient religion
d. To discuss the activities of young people in
ancient Rome.

If you were an ancient Roman, would you

participate in the Lupercalia festival? Would you
be a participant or a bystander? And, of course,
why?

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
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 Answer Key:

1. B
2. D
3. D
4. B
5. Answers will vary.
Objectives:: Key Idea and Details:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.1
Cite textual evidence to support analysis
of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.2
Determine a central idea of a text and how
it is conveyed through particular details;
provide a summary of the text distinct
from personal opinions or judgments.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.3
Analyze in detail how a key individual,
event, or idea is introduced, illustrated,
and elaborated in a text (e.g., through
examples or anecdotes).
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