Happy International Eunuch Day

[JesusA (imported)]

Earlier this month Erikboy proposed that we need an International Eunuch Day. March 24th is the perfect date - early spring as the world is reborn. March 24th was celebrated in ancient Rome as Dies Sanguinis (or the Day of Blood), the date on which the acolytes of the goddess Cybele, the Mother of the Gods, castrated themselves to become priests and to serve the goddess. Some theologians believe that Dies Sanguinis was the model for the holiday of Good Friday – a Christian day of blood.

Followers of Cybele believed that Attis castrated himself and died on the 24th. For the ancient Romans, however, it was the following day, March 25th, that was the day of resurrection. Attis was reborn on a day of grand celebration -- Hilaria, the Day of Joy.

As Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter at the heart of the Vatican was erected on the site of the most important temple to Cybele (the foundations of which can reputedly still be seen in the Vatican basement). The site where the testicles of the new eunuch priests of the Mother of the Gods were interred was covered by the Christians with the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore - the great church erected to the Mother of Christ.

The faith dedicated to the Mother of the Gods was the greatest rival to early Christianity and the triumphant Christians tried to bury its major shrines and temples under Christian monuments throughout the empire. Many early Christian churches contain remnants of Cybele and her faith.

Some Christian theologians argue that Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, in which he stated that Christians did not need to be circumcised, was a reaction to the castration of followers of Cybele. Galatia was the center of her worship in the Roman Empire and castration and circumcision were equated in Roman law of the time.

[Paolo]

So St. Peter is standing on a stack of old testicles?

Now there's an image for you...

[Dave (imported)]

...

the Vatican basement ...

I think that's been the Vatican catacombs for a long time. I'm not entirely sure because there are tunnels to get between the various buildings and other churches. The big cathedrals in Rome were built with secret tunnels to escape whatever "heathen horde of unbelievers or heretics" were going to lay siege to Rome and the Vatican State.

[Riverwind (imported)]

Its always nice to find yet another Pagan rite that has been captured into Christianity. Gives one that warm fuzzy that we all enjoy.

Mahalo

River

[erikboy (imported)]

I have no clue how people should celebrate IE day. But one thing should be clear, we don't want to see orchiectomies or other type of castrations on modern IE day. It is not a good idea to become an eunuch on that day or any day close to that day, as we do not encourage forethoughtless castrations. May be IO Day (International Orchiectomy Day) suits better for that purpose.

On IE Day, people who are eunuchs or have desire to become one, whatever the reason, should feel accepted. We don't encourage any Eunuch parades or other massive publicity events.

May be only some clever stunts to make people aware that such an interesting day exists actually.

And here I send 0ne thousand kisses to all eunuch people around the world!