Just Who Was St. Valentine?

February 14th -- a day to proclaim love and affection with cards, candies and flowers. But how in the world did one of the most romantic days on the calendar become associated with a pious man of the cloth?

Although there are numerous martyred Valentine's honoured on February 14th in Christian history, it is widely believed that it is Valentine of Rome (martyred about AD269) that is the namesake of our modern celebration. 

It is widely believed that St. Valentine was persecuted as a Christian during the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius II. Some historians believe that Valentine opposed a law of the time that ordered young men not to marry. The Emperor, who was constantly building his massive armies, believed that married men did not make good soldiers. It's been suggested that Valentine performed secret marriages for young men and their brides and was subsequently jailed for his actions.  More romantic connections become apparent as some scholars believe that Valentine had himself fallen in love with his jailor's daughter and on the eve of his execution sent her a "Valentine note" professing his love and devotion. The note was apparently signed "From your Valentine."

The modern Western traditions around Valentine's Day date to the late 1800s. Ester Howland from Massachusetts is credited as being one of the first to mass produce and sell embossed paper lace cards. Cards soon became much more elaborate and whimsically romantic.  The usual symbols on the cards are outlined hearts, flowers, doves and young sweethearts.  

Today cards and online e-cards also feature images of popular cartoon figures like Spiderman and Barbie. The Greeting Card Association estimates that more than one billion Valentine's cards are sent annually.  And the celebrations are definitely not unique to North America.  Valentine's Day is celebrated in one form or another in Europe,  South and Central America and Asia, making one of the most universally celebrated days on the calendar. 

Robert Burns Day - January 25th

The stirring, haunting skirl of the bagpipe announces a procession which features a silver tray on which a  haggis is proudly and reverently displayed.  Now a sheep's stomach filled with a blend of sheep's heart, liver, lungs, as well as oatmeal and spices, may not sound like a celebratory feast, but to many it happily culminates a day devoted to one of Scotland's most famous sons.

Robert Burns, born January 25, 1759, was a self taught poet born into a peasant family. Burns realized that farming was not his calling and began to publish and sell his poems, which became very popular in the urban centers like Edinburgh. 

His lyrical style was usually of romantic love, the enjoyment of a good drink and pride of individual and country. Many of his poems are written as odes to specific women, of whom he was fond. Of course of his many compositions, one of his most famous and oft recited is Auld Lang Syne.

While there is no strict tradition followed for a Burns dinner, celebrations often fall into two camps -- scholarly, elegant and formal, or loud, raucous and spontaneous. The serving of the haggis is usually a centerpiece of any celebration. Often the host and guests will recite the author's poetry or stories and round out the evening with a toast to the author with a good whiskey.

The Parting Kiss 

Humid seal of soft affections,

Tenderest pledge of future bliss,

Dearest tie of young connections,

Love's first snowdrop, virgin kiss!

Speaking silence, dumb confession,

Passion's birth, and infant's play.

Dove-like fondness, chaste concession,

Glowing dawn of future day!

Sorrowing joy, Adieu's last action,

(Lingering lips must now disjoin),

What words can ever speak affection

So thrilling and sincere as thine!

Robert Burns, 1788

Happy Birthday to You!

Some of us love them, some dislike them and some just plain old ignore them. But no matter our feelings, they're inevitable.  Birthdays!

People from almost every culture worldwide have some way of celebrating births. Pagen cultures believed that any changes in a person's daily life, like turning a year older, was an invitation for the "evil spirits" to visit harm on that person. To avoid this calamity, the celebrant was surrounded by family and members of the community who provided lots of laughter and happiness to ward off the evil.

Modern celebrations date to European customs when only the nobility celebrated birthdays, likely because only the noble born kept accurate records of births and deaths.  Eventually the celebrations were adopted by the poorer classes.  As a way to mimic the royalty, it was  during this time that the custom of wearing a crown or hat during the birthday celebration came into practice.

Today, "milestone" birthdays are regularly recognized. A "sweet sixteen", "turning 21", "over the hill at 40". Parties can be extravagant and usually always include a birthday cake, topped with candles to represent the person's age. And in Western cultures the song "Happy Birthday", penned by sisters in the late 1890s is sung.

Regardless of the method, birthdays are a wonderful time to recognize the people in our lives who mean the most to us.  If it's your special day today -- Cheers!

Let's celebrate!

I've recently opened an on-line store that specializes in gift baskets and containers for any kind of occasion.  Since opening it's been amazing to see the huge variety of things we celebrate. I'm not talking only about the big "Hallmark" occasions, but the everyday things that might seem ordinary to some, but carry tremendous significance for others.

My curiosity about occasions and celebrations has definitely been piqued. What makes us celebrate the way we do? What's the cultural significance of celebrations? What are some of the traditions, both old and new, that surround occasions?  What kind of music and decorations go best with celebrations?

I hope, through this forum, to provide some interesting, entertaining and useful information about occasions and the ways in which we celebrate them.

First up -- Birthdays!  Stay tuned.