Felix's Toga Virilis Ceremony

As I'm writing this, I'm feeling a little bit sentimental. The toga virilis ceremony was the day that Felix officially became a man, and as his mother, it was very bittersweet. I was so proud that I had raised a virtuitous young Roman, but I was going to miss him, and I was selfishly sad that he wasn't going to need me to take care of him anymore. As a parent, this is undoubtedly a feeling you will experience when your child reaches adulthood.

During the ceremony itself, our friends and family gathered into our house's atrium. Felix took off his bulla, the locket we had given to him after birth, and placed it on our family guardian spirit shrine, the statue of a Lar. Then he discarded his toga praetexta, his childhood garment with a purple band. Cornelius presented him with his toga virilis, a plain white toga that bears with it the freedom and responsibility of adulthood. Then we walked together in a procession to the forum. Felix made a sacrifice to Jupiter and got his full name registered in the list of citizens in the tabularium. After these rituals were completed, our crowd of family and friends gathered around Felix once more, wishing him good fortune as he entered into adulthood. My advice for your son's toga virilis ceremony is just to take it all in. Enjoy these celebratory moments with your son, even though it is bittersweet. You've done it-- you've successfully raised a Roman!

vale, et animum sume,

Octavia