craft ▁launched ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁Category : In m ars at ▁sat ell ites <0x0A> </s> ▁Lu per cal ia ▁was ▁an ▁ancient , ▁possibly ▁pre - R oman ▁past oral ▁annual ▁festival , ▁observed ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Rome ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁of ▁February ▁to ▁a vert ▁evil ▁spirits ▁and ▁pur ify ▁the ▁city , ▁re le asing ▁health ▁and ▁fert ility . ▁Lu per cal ia ▁was ▁also ▁called ▁dies ▁Febru atus , ▁after ▁the ▁instruments ▁of ▁pur ification ▁called ▁febru a , ▁which ▁gave ▁February ▁( F ebru arius ) ▁its ▁name . ▁ ▁Name ▁The ▁festival ▁was ▁later ▁known ▁as ▁Febru a ▁(" P ur ifications " ▁or ▁" P urg ings ") ▁after ▁the ▁ ▁which ▁was ▁used ▁on ▁the ▁day . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁ ▁and ▁gave ▁its ▁name ▁to ▁Jun o ▁Febru alis , ▁Feb r ul is , ▁or ▁Febru ata ▁in ▁her ▁role ▁as ▁its ▁patron ▁de ity ; ▁to ▁a ▁god ▁called ▁Febru us , ▁and ▁to ▁February ▁( ), ▁the ▁month ▁during ▁which ▁it ▁occurred . ▁O vid ▁connect s ▁ ▁to ▁an ▁E tr us can ▁word ▁for ▁" p urg ing ". ▁Some ▁sources ▁connect ▁the ▁Latin ▁word ▁for ▁fe ver ▁() ▁with ▁the ▁same ▁idea ▁of ▁pur ification ▁or ▁p urg ing , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁swe ating ▁commonly ▁seen ▁in ▁association ▁with ▁fe vers . ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁Lu per cal ia ▁was ▁believed