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Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Valentine’s Day


Valentine’s Day

Ever wonder why we started celebrating Valentine's Day on February 14th?  

I stole this from an Arnie Seipel, I believe an NPR editor.

From Feb. 13 to 15, the Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia. The men sacrificed a goat and a dog, then whipped women with the hides of the animals they had just slain.
The Roman romantics "were drunk. They were naked," says Noel Lenski, a historian at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Young women would actually line up for the men to hit them, Lenski says. They believed this would make them fertile.

The brutal fete included a matchmaking lottery, in which young men drew the names of women from a jar. The couple would then be, um, coupled up for the duration of the festival — or longer, if the match was right.
Additionally, it seems a couple of Romans named Valentine were executed on February 14, and somehow their martyrdom became part of the celebration.

There are those who want to get rid of Columbus Day because Columbus was not nice to the inhabitants he found when he landed in the Americas.
Currently there is a bit of a brouhaha about our National Anthem because one verse which no one ever sings refers in a most politically incorrect way to slavery.

There is a movement to remove any statue that was erected to remember southern “Hero’s” who fought against the union.
These are all fair complaints about a few traditions in this country; but if we are to eliminate Columbus Day, change our National Anthem and tear down statues, then for crap sake shouldn’t we stop celebrating a holiday whose roots are in whipping women with the skins of sacrificial animals?

Besides, I hate Valentine’s Day.  It is a day where husbands are tested.
Did you remember? Did you put some thought into your present? Did your neighbor’s husband give a better more thoughtful gift you inconsiderate jerk!!!? (I’ve heard of that last one from others…not me…ever.)

If you do get a nice gift and your wife is happy, she remembers next year, and you had better match or improve on the gift or you may be accused of “Not loving me as much as you used to!” (I’ve heard of that from others…not me…ever.)
Hallmark loves Valentines Day.  Restaurants raise their prices and still are fully booked.  Florists make a bundle, candy is sold like crazy.  Everyone does well on Valentines Day but the poor schlub who forgets or under celebrates.

Except for those first few hormone-fused Valentine’s Days of early romance, Valentine’s Day is a day of fear for most men.  It is a day to survive but seldom win.
This year it will be a dinner and a movie, but I had better do something else or I will be a loser.

I ‘ve thought about beating Mrs. C with an animal skin, but she is not into ancient traditions.  I could get her flowers, that seems passé, but usually works with women. 
I do have one trick up my sleeve, I could profess my affection to Mrs. Cranky for all to see on this here blog.
Here it is:

I love you Karen!

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone.  

20 comments:

  1. MY WIFE and I met at a Valentine's Day dance at my stepfather's fraternal club. Neither of us really celebrates Valentine's Day, per se, but I do try to remember the anniversary of our meeting :-)

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  2. only you can valentine day with such horrible facts bringing forth from the history Joe and it was expected already

    i wish you a very happy and SUCCESSFUL valentine day with a one simple flower and a warm hug revealing your unconditional love for her

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  3. All of us already know how much you love her, now she just has to read this and she will know too. On top of the knowledge she already has. Maybe arrange to have flowers and chocolates delivered at the table while you're out to dinner. Public displays of everlasting love usually go over well in movies, so it should for you too.

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  4. Aaaw that's so romantic. I didn't realise it was Valentine's Day until reading this post. No need, I guess.

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  5. My favorite holiday! I don't have to cook massive quantities of food for relatives! Yeah!

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  6. That is a horrible tradition and I am glad it got replaced with chocolate. Very sweet ending to the post.

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  7. Wow. No protests yet, huh? I'd expect we'd see protests of this horrible day celebrating violence.

    Make the most of it, I guess. They'll get around to chopping it down eventually.

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  8. Yeah, you could probably get away with sacrificing the goat but by the time you got around to the dog you'd be in the hoosegow ..... before you ever got to the beating part. Guess folks ain't as romantic as they once was. ;-)

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  9. I do believe you saved the day Cranky. A real awww moment. You are still doing dinner and a movie though--right:))

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  10. I think the way you celebrate Valentines is far better than the ancient ways. Just saying.

    Happy Valentines Day, Joe and Karen. ☺

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  11. I'm glad you ruled out beating Mrs. C with an animal skin. Maybe, while you're out to dinner, (her in uncomfortable clothes, and you in whatever old favorites you've been lounging around in while playing guitar in the basement), you could challenge her to arm-wrestle, and let her win...

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  12. Karen is a lucky woman........no one has even mentioned Valentine Day over here...sigh.

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  13. Me and my husband will celebrate Valentines Day but not with gifts. No whips either!
    [wink]
    Lisa

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  14. We get each other a card, and maybe i get him some cordial cherries, and we call it a day. It’s enough.

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  15. A little advice Joe. An umbrella is an unfortunate choice for a Valentines gift. Even if it's red. Trust me on this.
    R

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  16. We Italians have the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. - Such an "awww" post Joe. I'm waiting for the chocolates to go on sale tomorrow. :D

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  17. Some people might be into the whipping thing, think about how popular the 50 Shades books and movies have been. You never know!

    We happily stayed in with homemade chicken pot pie and watched Criminal Minds on Netflix. We're romantic like that.

    Hope you had a great dinner and saw a good movie.

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  18. Awww that should work.

    I'm rare among women.I don't care for Valentines Day either. I told my husband years ago, I was fine with a hot dog and coke at Costco. No biggie. We should show our affection to our significant other everyday.

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  19. Drunk, naked Roman romantics and women lining up to get whipped and get coupled...that sounds like an orgy to me!

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