This coming Friday is Valentine’s Day. A day for lovers. Yes, I’m talking to you, Romeo (or Juliet, but now that I’m thinking about how they turned out, maybe that’s a bad example). The greeting card and gift industry will tell you that’s it’s time to splurge on that special someone. Buy them flowers, candy, a card, or something else dripped in hearts, chocolate, or blazing red. Maybe take them out for an expensive dinner or weekend getaway – got…
Yes, today is Valentine’s Day (don’t worry, Dollar General probably still has a card and some cheap flowers if you forgot), and while you and your sweetheart (if you have one) are reading cards, going out to dinner, or pounding chocolate squares filled with mysterious ingredients by the fist-full, you may be thinking – “where did all of these traditions come from”? Holiday Origins As with most holidays, the origins of the holiday are a mixed bag. There were many…
Another Valentine’s Day is upon us. A day for lovers and sweethearts to affirm (or renew) their pacts of devotion and adoration to one another (sidenote – I submitted that last sentence as a Valentine’s Day card to the people at “Hallmark” this year and they turned me down. Their loss.) Anyway, I generally celebrate the holiday by giving out cards and chocolates to my girls (we’re not really “flowers” or “teddy bear” people). Even though it’s a pretty low-key…
February 14th is fast approaching. That’s right, boys and girls – Valentine’s Day. Even though we know it today as a holiday created to celebrate love, originally it never had anything to do with hearts, chocolate, or red roses. It was an observance named after Saint Valentine, a Roman priest who was killed in 269 A.D. Originally, the day was noted more for martyrdom and death in the early Christian church rather than life and love[1]. In fact, there were…