This morning was filled with humor for me. My 16-year-old daughter has a boyfriend for the first time and this morning she asked if we could swing by the grocery store and grab a little box of chocolates for him.I’ve been single for over seven years so I’ve been out of the Valentine’s Day loop for quite some time and after this morning I am glad. As we ventured to the grocery store the sea of terrified men swarmed the floral department. Balloons, candy, flowers in hand. I don’t mean to sound cynical because I am not but the pressure those men were feeling to purchase that stuff, the stressful expressions on their faces - somewhere the meaning is getting lost. I wasn’t seeing any love in their eyes just a look of grab, spend and hope it makes her happy.
I looked up the meaning of Valentine’s Day. We celebrate Valentine's Day, because until 1969, it was one of the many Saint's Days observed by the Catholic Church. It was dedicated to the patron saint of romantic causes, St. Valentine.
It wasn't until 1537 that St. Valentine's day was declared an official holiday. England's King Henry VIII, known for his ways of disposing of wives, declared February 14th a holiday. It was another century and a half before religious devotional cards became non-religious cards to reflect the change in the holiday. On February 14, the ancient Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia in honor of Juno, the queen of the Roman gods and goddesses. Juno was also the goddess of womesn and marriage so honoring her was thought to be a fertility rite.
At the feast held the next day, the women would write love letters and stick them in a large urn. The men would pick a letter from the urn and for the next year, pursue the woman who wrote the chosen letter. This custom lasted until the 1700s when people decided their beloveds should be chosen by sight, not luck.
Even the origination of this holiday seems a little twisted. My thought for the day is make it meaningful in your own way, don’t let commercialism seep into your life, keep it simple.
Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone.
4 comments:
And a Happy Valentines to you too from another singleton!
Bravo! I agree. Commercialism is so overrated. I have often wondered why in the world we do this stuff. I could really care less about the day. Thank you for the history lesson. Oh my, to have to pursue the luck of the draw in who to date. Yuck! That is as bad as being betrothed.
I can just imagine the sight of all those men running thru the grocery store. What a sight.
The commercialism has just taken over the holiday and as you pointed out... put pressure on the male species to please their women. My guy and I decided a long time ago not to fall into that. Our evening was a quiet night at home with take-out Chinese. Worked for me!
Flowers on a day when there is no special occasion mean so much more!
Though your daughter's request had to have brought a smile to your face!
Hope that things are ok, you haven't posted in a few days (although I am far worse about that!). There is an award for you to pick up over at my blog, and wishing you a lovely Sunday.
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