Gadget's Workshop
14
February 07:02
Important Facts about Valentine's Day
Wellllll...There are a few important things about Valentine's Day. People tend to forget them when they either:
a) rejoice in the opportunity to send soppy cards/cuddly teddy bears/overpriced flowers to their nearest and dearest (or those they wish to be nearer and/or dearer)
OR
b) Violently denounce the holiday as an exploitative capitalist exercise in extracting money from idiots (while secretly wishing that someone would send them a card)
Valentine's Day celebrates St. Valentine. Who was a Christian martyr, who by all accounts got rather a grisly death.
As to why this was...well, some people think he was martyred for refusing to give up his faith, a few think it was for refusing to stop marrying Christian couples, and a few others for defying a Roman emperor.
The marrying one is my favourite I think.
Ahem. I feel some artwork coming on:
This is Emperor Claudius, known (behind his back) as Claudius the Cruel:
He was upset because no one was joining the army cos they didn't want to leave their homes and families behind.
Claudius tries to prevent this by banning all marriages and engagements.
Valentine, however, carried on marrying Christian couples in secret.
But he got found out. And they beat him to death with clubs and then cut his head off.
This was not very friendly.
But, so the legend goes, while he was in jail people threw flowers and notes up to him to tell him they were thinking of him.
Hence the tradition.
Here's another.
14th of February was, in the Roman calendar, a celebration of the goddess of women and marriage Juno.
And part of the tradition was the pairing up of boys and girls of the same age (by drawing a name out of a hat (or Roman equivalent)) and making them spend the day together.
Aww...
Actually...that could get a bit violent.
With that cheerful thought, I leave you. God bless, and happy Valentine's Day, however you choose to spend it. Me? I'm going to Rev.
Send this post to a friend