And here it is . . . one of the finest money making days of the years for greeting card companies, second only to Christmas!
Valentine’s Day!
Some will make a point to profess their love for a sweetheart. Some will think that they haven’t a sweetheart at the moment and be depressed—other will think that they haven’t a sweetheart at this moment and see a movie and maybe treat themselves to a great dinner!
But, the reason we celebrate is really quite nice, even if it is shrouded in myth and maybe only partially true—or if the legend is really based on the lives of several men.
Legend goes that evil Claudius II of Rome believed that soldiers fought better when they didn’t have wives, and therefore, he put a ban on marriage. Valentine was a priest—a no-no in the eyes of Claudius from the get-go. But Valentine believed in the love and the sanctity of marriage. He was said to have done good deeds akin to miracle and he had also welcomed young lovers for clandestine marriages in his church—perhaps down in the catacombs? Who knows where this was, but those who believed in love came to him. Claudius got his hands on Valentine and blinded him; Valentine merely tried to teach Claudius the goodness of Christianity. Claudius wasn’t to bed, and beloved by so many, Valentine was executed.
In the age of Chaucer, when romance and high gallantry flourished, Valentine was honored.
And to this day, we honor of the memory of the man (or the several men named Valentine) who gave his life for the beauty of love—in its many guises.
So, hey, the economy needs it! Go out and get some chocolates, buy some cards, and give someone some flowers.
There’s nothing wrong about honoring one of our finest human emotions—love!
2 comments:
I totally agree. Now more than ever we need romance to brighten our lives. I think that's why I write romance, because it's such a feel-good thing. Love+Valentine's Day=a winning combination
Love--the universal language that needs no words. It doesn't hurt to designate one day to remind us of how we should behave every day of our lives.
This post is another example of why you entertain readers so well with your books. You know how to get at the heart of the story---and show the reason it exists while entertaining completely.
Happy Valentine's Day!
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