During which festival did Romulus and his men kidnap the Sabine women?

The kidnapping of the Sabine women by Romulus and his men is traditionally associated with the festival of Consualia. This festival was dedicated to Consus, the god of granaries and stored grain, and was celebrated with various agricultural activities, including games and festivities. The context of the festival plays a crucial role in the narrative, as Romulus chose this occasion, which was meant to be celebratory, to carry out the abduction. This act was seen as a solution to the lack of women for his newly founded city, Rome.

In contrast, the other festivals listed each have distinct themes and purposes. Lupercalia was celebrated in honor of the god Lupercus and involved fertility rites and luperci (priests of Lupercus) running through the streets in a state of undress. Natalis Invicti, associated with the birth of the Invincible Sun, was observed around the winter solstice and focused on the sun god. Saturnalia celebrated the agricultural god Saturn with a period of feasting, gift-giving, and social role reversal. While all these festivals were significant in Roman culture, none are linked in the same way to the specific event of the kidnapping that occurred during Consualia.