Valentine’s day is one of the most confused and convoluted holidays ever, beginning with the fact that it isn’t really a holiday at all. Even the origins of this non holiday are in great dispute. There have certainly been a number of Christian martyrs named Valentine, none of them really having anything to do with love and romance, although myths and legends have sprung up, rumors of secret weddings performed. Greeting card companies and the History channel love these tales, but they really have little basis in truth.
There are some legends that suggest Valentine’s Day is somehow related to Lupercalia, the wolf festival, partially a celebration of Lupa, the she-wolf who cared for Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. Again there is little evidence to suggest any relationship between Lupercalia and Valentine’s day at all, but rumors persist just the same.
Geoffrey Chaucer is really the guy we can blame for the modern folk practice of Valentine’s Day. He wrote his Parlement of Foules and the rest is history. It’s a tribute he wrote to King Richard ll on his marriage to Anne of Bohemia. Chaucer appears to have taken some literary license because he spoke of established traditions that did not even exist… until he spoke of them.
I of course, appreciate the odd juxtapositions within Valentine’s day, the darker things, the things that make me go, good grief people are weird. The St. Valentine’s day Massacre, or the fact that epilepsy was once called “the Valentine affliction.” In England a rather pervy old man named Jack was thought to leave candy for children on the back step in honor of Valentine’s day. Apparently a relic, the flower-crowned skull of Saint Valentine is exhibited in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. And King Richard’s Anne of Bohemia? She died a few years later of the plague.
Ironically, what is exceedingly difficult to find is any documented relationship between Valentine’s Day and something positive, like love, romance, or chocolate. Of course, those in the Valentine business would disagree with me entirely, as Valentine’s day has grown into a worldwide business. According to statistics, the Chinese and South Koreans now spend the most money, upwards of 500 dollars, contrasted to American’s paltry 113.
Bookstooge said:
$25 tops!
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insanitybytes22 said:
LOL! π
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Rick Wilcox said:
Happy Valentine’s Day. My post on the 14th will cover a little of this ground too but from a different angle.
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insanitybytes22 said:
I look forward to reading it. π
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Wally Fry said:
Oh wow. Is $113 really the standard? Oops.
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insanitybytes22 said:
LOL! Well, there’s something to be said for being priceless, Wally. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. π
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Wally Fry said:
Well, yes….she is indeed priceless. That good one’s always are. I bet you are, too.
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insanitybytes22 said:
That’s the spirit, Wally. Some of us have such built in worth and value, we really don’t need much. π
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lovelifeandgod said:
I’ve always been confused as to why singles are supposed to be unhappy on Valentine’s Day. From my perspective, February 14th is just a stalling period before I can get my hands on some really nice and also really cheap chocolates the very next day. π
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insanitybytes22 said:
Ha! Very wise.Discount chocolate, always a good thing. π
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Julie (aka Cookie) said:
add to the hysteria associated with this day of all things “love” the fact that the real-life St Valentine, aka St Valentino or Valentinus…was a 3rd century Roman who was martyred for his Christian faith—
Claudius II has him executed for refusing to deny his faith while he attempted to continue converting non believing Romans….take about dying for love….
now that’s Amore π
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Aethelfrith said:
Deleting my social media apps has helped lessen my VDay anxiety. There’s still the PC but I don’t have my passwords remembered so I’m not tempted to check there either.
I’ve only celebrated it once, five years ago, and then, not even on the actual day. Several weeks later, I ended my brief relationship and regretted it for a long time. I keep replaying in my mind “How much longer could it have lasted if I let her end it” or “What could I have done differently.” On and on, every year.
Reading the manosphere didn’t help. As a tangent, I don’t think the ‘sphere knows, or even cares, how many of their readers not only not improve, but deteriorate in their ability to connect with women.
That said, I’m having lunch with a former coworker who is a woman today. She is friendly, but quite older than me. I chose lunch because dinner today would send the wrong message π
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insanitybytes22 said:
Have a happy lunch and enjoy yourself! I think men and women connecting in some way is really one of the blessings in life. It need not always be romantic, a bit of love and support, some good conversation, these things have value, too.
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Sonyo Estavillo said:
This good to know and often Valentine’s day can trigger a lot of people who have an idealized notion of what it means. Most of us don’t really know how it all started. Great info and enjoyed the read! Happy heart day to you. π
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