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capri0mnicould very well be wrapping up a romantic dinner, by now... Whoever they are out there, I wish them all the happiness.
I myself have never had a valentine, outside the grade school ritual of paper cards in a "classroom mailbox" ... But I kinda like the holiday, even if I do have mixed feelings about it.
On the one hand, love should be expressed every day, and not one day out of the year.
On the other hand, it sure was nice, when I was in college, and under the pressure of midterms, with grey slushy snow outside to go into the mailroom and see it overflowing with red, and pink and white flowers.
On one hand, it was nice to see young women giggle and sigh and congratulate each other when they picked those bouquets up...
On the other hand, it was sad to see the lonliness of those who didn't have a valentine hightened to a level of bitterness...
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"Valentine's day" started as the Roman festival Lupercalia -- dedicated to the god Lupercus, who protected the flocks from wolves, and to Juno, the goddess of woman and marriage. It was a fertility festival, and women who wanted children would strip naked and be flogged by priests to insure fertility (okay, the Romans were "kinky," by our standards... but you can't say they didn't have fun sometimes ;->). And I'm sure the ordinary everyday fertility ritual of having sex happened, too.
But the festival was primarially a celebration of having survived the winter, with hopes of a fertile life ahead.
And whether you are in a romantic relationship or not -- That can still be celebrated.
Whoever you are out there, here's a toast and a wish that all your plans and hopes bear sweet fruit that satisfy you in your life.
I myself have never had a valentine, outside the grade school ritual of paper cards in a "classroom mailbox" ... But I kinda like the holiday, even if I do have mixed feelings about it.
On the one hand, love should be expressed every day, and not one day out of the year.
On the other hand, it sure was nice, when I was in college, and under the pressure of midterms, with grey slushy snow outside to go into the mailroom and see it overflowing with red, and pink and white flowers.
On one hand, it was nice to see young women giggle and sigh and congratulate each other when they picked those bouquets up...
On the other hand, it was sad to see the lonliness of those who didn't have a valentine hightened to a level of bitterness...
---
"Valentine's day" started as the Roman festival Lupercalia -- dedicated to the god Lupercus, who protected the flocks from wolves, and to Juno, the goddess of woman and marriage. It was a fertility festival, and women who wanted children would strip naked and be flogged by priests to insure fertility (okay, the Romans were "kinky," by our standards... but you can't say they didn't have fun sometimes ;->). And I'm sure the ordinary everyday fertility ritual of having sex happened, too.
But the festival was primarially a celebration of having survived the winter, with hopes of a fertile life ahead.
And whether you are in a romantic relationship or not -- That can still be celebrated.
Whoever you are out there, here's a toast and a wish that all your plans and hopes bear sweet fruit that satisfy you in your life.
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no subject
Date: 2003-02-14 08:33 pm (UTC)There is someone i'm thinking of this year but i can't be with her...she's in one State and i'm in another,so maybe it's because of her i don't hate Valentine's Day now :)
no subject
Date: 2003-02-14 08:51 pm (UTC)"Hate" is far too strong a word, but the thing about Valentine's day, and the culture around it, that makes me most uncomfortable is the perpetuation of the idea if you are an adult, you have to be in some sort of romantic relationship to be complete.
I think it's that idea alone that leads people to form "I hate Cupid" clubs...
That said, I do hope (to be honest) that I experience romantic love sometime before I die.... -- requited love, that is...
Oh, well.
no subject
Date: 2003-02-14 09:02 pm (UTC)I'm not getting any younger and want love before i die
I do hope i've found someone this time,but who knows?
and you're right "Hate" is any awful word and i dislike feeling that emotion
I just want happiness for me and all my friends and loved ones