TERMĬNĀLĬA, a festival in honour of the god Terminus, who presided
over boundaries. His statue was merely a stone or post stuck in the
ground to distinguish between properties. On the festival the two
owners of adjacent property crowned the statue with garlands, and
raised a rude altar, on which they offered up some corn, honeycombs,
and wine, and sacrificed a lamb or a sucking-pig. They concluded with
singing the praises of the god. The public festival in honour of
this god was celebrated at the sixth mile-stone on the road towards
Laurentum, doubtless because this was originally the extent of the
Roman territory in that direction. The festival of the Terminalia was
celebrated on the 23rd of February, on the day before the Regifugium.
The Terminalia was celebrated on the last day of the old Roman
year, whence some derive its name. We know that February was the
last month of the Roman year, and that when the intercalary month
Mercedonius was added, the last five days of February were added to
the intercalary month, making the 23rd of February the last day of
the year.