The darker side of Valentines Day…
The origins of this festival is actually dark, bloody!
Though no one has pinpointed the exact origin but we can start in ancient Rome, where men ‘hit’ on women by ‘hitting’ them. Feb. 13 to 15, Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia. Men would sacrifice a goat and a dog, they would then whip the women with the hides of the animals.Th young women would line up for the men to hit them, as they believed this would make them fertile!
There would also be matchmaking lottery at the festival; young men would draw the name of a women from a jar. They would then be coupled up for the duration of the festival, longer, if the match was right.
Ancient Romans could also be responsible for the NAME of our modern day of love. Emperor Claudius II executed two men both Valentine on Feb. 14 of different years in the 3rd century A.D. Their martyrdom was honoured by the Catholic Church with the celebration of St. Valentine’s Day. Claudius had ordered all Romans to worship twelve gods, and had made it a crime punishable by death to associate with Christians. But one Valentinus was dedicated to the ideals of Christ; not even the threat of death could keep him from practicing his beliefs. He was arrested and imprisoned; during his imprisonment Valentinus was asked if he would tutor the jailers daughter, who had been blind from birth. He read her stories, taught her arithmetic and told her about God – during a prayer session there was a bright light and she shouted “Valentinus – I can see”.Valentinus wrote to her on the eve of his death urging her to stay close to God – he signed if “From your, Vanentine”
Then in the 5th century, in an attempt to expel pagan rituals Pope Gelasius I, combed St. Valentine’s Day with Lupercalia. It was still a drunken festival it was still a day of fertility and love.
As the years went on Chaucer and Shakespeare romanticised it in their work, and it gained popularity throughout Britain and the rest of Europe. Handmade paper cards became the tokens-du-jour in the Middle Ages.
Eventually, the tradition made its way to the New World. The industrial revolution ushered in factory-made cards and February has not been the same since and as the Christmas cards and decorations come down in the shops up go the Valentines!
So we go from a bloody tradition to a bloody expensive day!
There’s pressure, if you are in a relationship, to buy a meaningful card and gift, a meal – arguments over whos responsibility it is to cook a meal or arrange something special…
There can be pressure if you aren’t! For some seeing everyone else being showered with gifts is awful!
It’s not about the gifts – its about the gift of TIME and LOVE!
Whether you are in a relationship or not, you NEED to show LOVE for yourself!
It is so important to treat yourself to time – daily or weekly. It could be a meditation for a few mins a day – sitting quietly with a clear mind. It could be a coffee in a lovely coffee shop watching the world go by. A nice hot bath with bubbles… It could be a weekly or monthly massage or Reiki treatment, a manicure of facial!
It really doesn’t matter what it is as long as you make time for yourself!
You need to look after and LOVE yourself more!
If you feel you are missing out this Valentines Day make yourself a card and write down a minimum of things you love about yourself and being you!
