I guess I’ve always had a cynical streak. I look at things and wonder where they came from, who started them, and more than anything, what their motivation for starting them was. Take Valentine’s Day for example. The cynical side of me would think that this holiday, like many American holidays was started for the express purpose of selling greeting cards, flowers, and candy. If it wasn’t started for that, somebody sure decided it was a good day to use for that.
In actuality, the holiday of Valentine’s Day, more properly called St. Valentine’s Day was started by the Roman Catholic Church in 500 AD to commemorate St. Valentine. Although it was removed from the “official calendar of church holidays” in 1969, the celebration of Valentine’s Day is still accepted by the church. So, I guess we have to say “Thank you” to Pope Gelasius I for giving us this day.
Yet, why do we need a special day to remind us to act in love towards those that we claim to love? What’s wrong with us that we can’t act and feel loving the other 364 days of the year? Not only that, but how is one day of being romantic and loving supposed to make up for all those other days of forgetting? It seems to me we need 364 days of being romantic and loving per year, and maybe one day of break. That might even serve a purpose, the one day of break would help to remind us of how valuable that person’s love is to us, and we’d appreciate it more.
I’ll have to say, my wife and I won’t go out on Monday to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Not because I don’t love her, but because our work won’t allow us to. So, we celebrated Valentine’s Day early. Then again, we don’t limit ourselves to celebrating our love for one another only on days where somebody tells us to. I don’t wait for Valentine’s Day to buy my wife flowers; I do it some other day, especially if I can surprise her with them. Besides, have you noticed how much higher flower prices are on Valentine’s Day?
I’d like to propose something new to you. Instead of just celebrating your love one day a year, how about making it one day per week? Pick a day of the week that’s going to be your personal Valentine’s Day as a couple, and make sure you do something special to express and celebrate your love for one another. If you can do more than one day, that’s even better; but make sure you do the one.
By the way, if you need any romantic ideas, check out my other blog at: RomanticActOfTheDay.Blogspot.com
One day is better than none! I too have to sit on a cynical side of myself. I tend to end up judging others for celebrating what they consider a special day and therefore alienating myself from them. How can we who are called to love the loveless reach out if we alienate the ones we're endeavoring to reach? To one man one day is holy and to another everyday is holy. The worst thing we can do is put a stumbling block in front of a weaker brother.
ReplyDeleteI call it "the official Love day" and celebrate it with gusto along side all my catholic sisters and brothers. I look for ANY opportunity to love someone.
Cynicism has a way of infecting other areas of our lives so walking free from judgment of any sort is good.
Faith works by love and if our lost or notso lost friends and family want to celebrate Valentine's day allow them the grace. Before you studied and discovered the origin of the day you probably received a Valentine and gave one.
Casting stones is a good way to get stoned.
Love,
Your slightly older sister
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