VALENTINE’S DAY REFLECTIONS By Terri White

 VALENTINE’S DAY REFLECTIONS
By Terri White
 
Ah, February, the month of hearts, flowers, and chocolate.  Stores have stocked their shelves, florists are busy arranging bouquets, restaurants are gearing up romantic dinners, dance halls have scheduled heart-throb bands, and schools ready for parties.  All in the name of love. 

I wonder what Saint Valentine would think of our modern celebrations?  This third-century Roman saint, associated with love, is also the patron saint of epilepsy and beekeepers – helpful if you’re into that sort of thing.

Why, though, did the Roman church link love with St. Valentine? Defying Claudius, the priest continued to secretly perform marriages for young Christian lovers. Once discovered, Claudius ordered his execution around 270 A.D. However, the Roman Church waited until the 14th century to designate Valentine’s Day as a lovers’ festival.

Historians posit that the holiday, coinciding with the beginning of birds’ mating season in mid-February, included fertility rites and pairing women and men by lottery.  Wondering about the significance of red ribbons? In the Middle Ages, a woman would give her lover the ribbons from her hair for luck and protection, as well as to remind him of her love. 

Ancient pagans called Valentine’s Day Lupercalia, which celebrated fertility. Young boys took strips of hide from sacrificed animals and whipped young women to promote fertility.  Charming.

Frankly, I find our modern celebrations far more appealing. No whipping, no random pairing, no worries about protection. I’ll take dinner and dancing any day. Throw in some chocolates and flowers, too. Or just dancing – my happy place. But absolutely no whipping!

As a child of the ‘50s, we decorated shoeboxes with red hearts and cut a hole on top so classmates could stuff their cards inside.  Nothing fancy back then.  No expensive cards with candy attached, no gifts, no money exchanged.  Simpler expectations during a simpler era.

Enter my teens.  Valentine’s Day never rated a blip on my radar.  Since I towered over the boys, apparently I intimidated them.  And I thought they didn’t like me!  Lots of teenage angst.  However, I remember my dad lavishing attention on my mom: jewelry, a mushy card, and a dinner date. No stone unturned for his adoring wife. 

My husband, though, is not a planner.  He wakes up and puts one foot in front of the other.  Admittedly, over the years, I’ve been disappointed.  But overall, we’ve managed.  Although he’s not like my dad, his redeeming qualities shine in other ways. This summer we will celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary, so I guess we’ve figured out how to make our marriage work – with or without a Valentine’s Day celebration.

So here’s to love – in whatever expression works for you.