Lupercalia Approaches

Amazing how 02-14 became a holiday for loving, when it started as a day of the bloddy death of St. Valentine, I don't know. But at least we're not celebrating it like the Romans did it. Lupercalia (February 15) was celebrated as the day of Lupercus, protector of sheep. Again, how a day for the wolf killer became loveapalooza escapes me. The Christian community probably took this pagan holiday and picked a saint's name from a box and christened it as so.

And here's another grizzly story, Valentine was living in an era where being Christian was heresy and being a priest was a one way ticket to hurtsville. Valentine was found out when he cured a guard's daughter and was hereby clubbed, drawn and beheaded. And so he unlived unhappily ever after... well, at least we got a holiday for his troubles...

I think we got St Valentines when he spilled blood on an unknown love letter and turned it pink. The recipient got the letter and urged everyone to do the same... not the bloodspilling part, just the gushy, mushy tradition of putting copious amounts of red in every letter sent on Valentines.

I wish people would send fruitcake on Valentines. Chocolates don't last very well, so you can't "return the love" the next year. If you got fruitcake, the love just keeps coming, and returning, until it gets moldy-green, then you can send it on St. Patrick's Day.

Economical,and touching and safe for the environment...