As I was working on HoD and Spirit Gum Luv cards, The concept of Valentines day started playing volley ball in my mind--here are my thoughts: I am not a big celebrator of mainstream Holidays for a hybrid of reasons and being an agnostic, I would probably forgo Christmas if not for the kiddos. And yes--I understand how many holidays have been unscrupulously commercialized to the point of making you feel guilty if you do not spend at over $1,000 bucks on those you love. That said, I was a bit annoyed by a male buddy's take on the holiday. As cynical as I am about V-day, (hence why I do not celebrate it) I was a bit worried when he declared "If my wife of 20 years doesn't know that I love her then that is on her." as a way to brush off the day. Many men have a very similar view and I think, kinda missing the point of what the day is supposed to mean, (although it currently does not.) First of all, relationship longevity does not denote or prove love. Many couples stay together for a host or reasons that have little to do with love. Also, while I am an advocate of showing you care outside of valentines day, I do not think the holiday is meant, in its' purest form, to prove love (although some people do take it there)... As for the history of the day itself: One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. In other words, Valentine's day is supposed to be a celebration of the idea that this Preist fought for--and died for. A day when people of all walks of life, give a shout out to the emotion and put on a ceremony, en masse, to show it to be a valid concept, worthy of practice. In an aside, it is funny too, how many cynics deny the existence of love based on the idea it is all just a bunch of chemical impulse, do not deny the existence of eating, or sleeping even though these are also provoked by chemical processes. We are biochemical machines-everything we do we do because of a chemical processes--does not decrease the validity of the process. Likewise, no one can deny hate exists, and as nature is perfect in its symmetry--wouldn't love also exists. Problem is--humans are far too inexperienced and immature to know what to do with the biological realities of love. Maybe V-day is a day in which we should, instead of buying candy and jewelry, pause and reflect on the ideas of what this essential emotion provides and means. If we do that, maybe, just maybe, we can grow up as a race a little bit. So whilst I do not practice it I understand it I do not look down on or belittle those who find a significant importance in it, so with that in mind. Happy Valentine's day.