St. Valentine

Hi all! I hope everyone has had a great week! I'm sure we're all aware of Valentine's Day coming on Friday, whether it be a good or bad day, hopefully good! I thought I would take an uncommon approach to V-Day discussion, considering the nature of my blog, and discuss a few mythological aspects of Valentine's Day!

I believe many of us know that we derive the name of this romantic holiday from St. Valentine. Who exactly is he? The Catholic church recognizes multiple men named Valentine who were members of the church during the early centuries in Rome. Lots of myths surround the origin of the holiday, and the multiple men. Unfortunately, it is unclear which man is THE St. Valentine. Even still, the holiday traditions have evolved, despite retaining their mythological roots.

February has long been associated with love and romance. Before St. Valentine's Day, Roman pagans celebrated the festival of Lupercalia. Any fans of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina may have seen the second season's depiction of the pagan holiday, which was fairly accurate, yet still a bit less gory. Celebrated each year on February 15, Lupercalia's festivities are far from modern Valentine's Day traditions (I'm sure most of us would prefer a card and flowers versus a bloody animal skin). Modern Valentine's Day traditions include the sweet cherub, Cupid, printed or displayed on countless cards and various gift items. Cupid is a Roman god, believed to be derived from the Greek god of love, Eros.

That is all I'll say for now about love, myth, and a little gore! Thank you so much for reading, and Happy Valentine's Day!





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