Happy Valentine’s Day 2020! It’s a day to celebrate romantic love or it passes in sorrow or passes as any other day or celebrating it is prohibited. Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?
I have had years when I celebrated. Years when I hated the day. And years when I ignore the day. Don’t get me wrong, I am a romantic. Don’t believe me? See my post Fools Risk Magic.
There are millions who are romantic enough to celebrate Valentine’s Day in one fashion or another. Millions like W. H. Auden…
I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you till China and Africa meet and the river jumps over the mountain and the salmon sing in the street.
W. H. Auden
Is that romantic or what?
Why Do We Celebrate?
Well, all you romantics know why you celebrate. But do you know what the historical roots of Valentine’s Day are? Guess what? There isn’t one answer.
Some believe we celebrate because of the Catholic saint, St. Valentine. But there were three St. Valentines. Read Who Was the Real St. Valentine?
The day could have its origins in the pagan fertility celebration, Lupercalia.
We think the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer recorded the first Valentine’s Day poem in 1375, “Parliament of Foules.” Did he start Valentine’s Day?
The Procrastinators
Today is Valentine’s Day – or, as men like to call it, Extortion Day!
Jay Leno
Some of us delay preparing for or celebrating Valentines Day. For some reason, Valentine’s Day brings out the procrastinator in more than 70 million who purchase their cards within six days of the holiday? Are you one of those? You might need some last-minute ideas. See my post Valentine’s Day Procrastinator’s Delight.
Not Everyone Celebrates Valentines Day
I’d kiss a frog even if there was no promise of a Prince Charming popping out of it. I love frogs. Cameron Diaz
Not everyone has found a romantic love. Some don’t care. Others care desperately. For them this is a difficult day. For them I wrote Your Valentine’s Day Survival Guide and the flash fiction, The Yellow Rose of Valentine’s Day.
Places like Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and India do not celebrate. In fact, in some of those countries there are severe punishments for those who do. Read more here.
Celebrate Your Way
What am I doing to celebrate? I’m taking my husband to the pulmonologist for a follow-up visit. Not as romantic as seeing his cardiologist… but that’s where we’ll be. Afterward, we’ll stop for some sweet treats. A nod to the day, but these days we express our love, celebrate our love every day.
Whether or not you celebrate, use this Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to remember to love yourself. No matter who you are, what your life circumstances are, you’ve been through a lot. You are here on this planet on this day. Celebrate you. Love yourself. Treat yourself with love and kindness. And have a very happy Valentine’s Day.