The priests of Lupercus would perform a traditional purification ritual, slaughtering goats to the god, and after consuming wine, they would run through the streets of Rome holding aloft the skins of the goats touching anyone they met. The occasion compelled floods of young women to the streets in the belief that being touched would improve their chances of conceiving and bring forth easy childbirth.'
The name "Valentine", derives from valens (worthy, strong, powerful); which is not what you'd think. It's not about love. Although it is about religious Saints - any one of three it seems:
Courtesy of Wikipedia - use with caution...
But the general theme seems to be a show of affection between lovers, or those that wish to become lovers.
And as it seems to be a major part in all our lives - finding someone to share time with, then I suppose it should be very important to us. Certainly, even the staunch Atheists celebrate it (on occasion). So it has transcended religion into a much wider western tradition.
It's not really about fertility anymore. It's about making life better. It might be about physical pleasure too. Is it just an excuse? Should we ever need an excuse to tell someone how we feel?
And what is this stuff about sending anonymous cards and gifts. Surely we would want the person to know. I never did get that - even when, as a teenager, it was all very important.
After all that - I suppose I could celebrate with something that means much to me. Love words, me. Love- words make my world work. So here are some. Courtesy of Mr Bob Dylan, and covered wonderfully by Adele.
