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could 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...
---
"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.
