It's Valentine's Day !

[Alan]

From the History Channel, which may be no more reliable than Wikipedia, Valentines Day in England started to become popular in the 17th century, but like many Saints Days it was possibly created to compete against a pagan ceremony.

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial--which probably occurred around A.D. 270--others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to "Christianize" the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat's hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.

 

[W2R]

They would then strip the goat's hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman.

I am SO glad that I am not a Roman woman of that time. How dreadful.

 

[powerplay]

Just another variation on celebrating Valentine's Day -

Naked woman found bound in back of Subaru; car's owner calls it Valentine's Day role-playing, Portland police report | OregonLive.com


I wonder if getting arrested added to the role playing thrill?

 

[Nords]

Valentine's Day 1992 was about the time that spouse started popping positive on her urinalysis. No, not the Navy's drug test-- the pregnancy hormone test.

At the time I was on sea duty, and we'd spent most of January & early February at sea except for one inport liberty weekend. So when the OB/GYN asked for the estimated date of conception, my spouse was able to place it within a 48-hour period. That's her story and she's stickin' to it.

Today we reflected upon what a long, strange trip it's been. And in another eight-plus months we won't have a teenager anymore!

I am SO glad that I am not a Roman woman of that time. How dreadful.

I guess it's better than being a Roman goat or a Roman dog...

 

[TromboneAl]

Remember popping out the valentines cards in those booklets?

I heard on the radio that there were actually 14 St. Valentines.

 

[HFWR]

Remember popping out the valentines cards in those booklets?

I heard on the radio that there were actually 14 St. Valentines.

Will the real St. Valentine please stand up...