While St. Valentine seems to get most of the credit for today’s holiday, according to the History Channel (I love their website) the popularity of Chaucer’s “Parliament of Foules” poem may be the real catalyst for today’s popular love fest.
Besides, nobody has actually been able to pin down a single St. Valentine (in all, there were about a dozen, including a pope) who inspired the holiday. Considering St. Valentine is the patron saint of beekeepers and epilepsy, as well as the plague, fainting and traveling (ah ha; covered the bases when it comes to my travel blog!), Chaucer gets my vote.
Yes, St. Valentine is also the patron saint of engaged couples and happy marriages, but it’s obvious the poor guy is stretched way too thin, especially given the dismal ratings of today’s happily-ever-after. But I digress!
Seems back in the day (1375), at least according to Chaucer’s poem, February 14 was the day birds/foules (and humans; his literary license) should come together to find a mate. Chaucer took the liberty of embellishing history and linking a tradition of courtly love with St. Valentine’s feast day, which had heretofore been strictly for the birds (I kid you not), when he wrote, “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.”
After his poem went viral (without the printing press, much less the internet, that took about three hundred years), Europeans embraced the tradition of exchanging cards on Valentine's Day.
Jimmy and I stuck to our little family tradition when it comes to exchanging cards. We exchanged the same Valentine’s Day cards we’ve been using for the last three or four years. To quote Jimmy, “You said my card was very special last year. Why wouldn’t the sentiment be just as special this year?”
I like his logic. Why mess with a good thing.
Good things are coming your way, too, on this Fun Foto Friday. I went a little overboard with all the excitement on this special day. Here’s to love and laughter!
Besides, nobody has actually been able to pin down a single St. Valentine (in all, there were about a dozen, including a pope) who inspired the holiday. Considering St. Valentine is the patron saint of beekeepers and epilepsy, as well as the plague, fainting and traveling (ah ha; covered the bases when it comes to my travel blog!), Chaucer gets my vote.
Yes, St. Valentine is also the patron saint of engaged couples and happy marriages, but it’s obvious the poor guy is stretched way too thin, especially given the dismal ratings of today’s happily-ever-after. But I digress!
Seems back in the day (1375), at least according to Chaucer’s poem, February 14 was the day birds/foules (and humans; his literary license) should come together to find a mate. Chaucer took the liberty of embellishing history and linking a tradition of courtly love with St. Valentine’s feast day, which had heretofore been strictly for the birds (I kid you not), when he wrote, “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.”
After his poem went viral (without the printing press, much less the internet, that took about three hundred years), Europeans embraced the tradition of exchanging cards on Valentine's Day.
Jimmy and I stuck to our little family tradition when it comes to exchanging cards. We exchanged the same Valentine’s Day cards we’ve been using for the last three or four years. To quote Jimmy, “You said my card was very special last year. Why wouldn’t the sentiment be just as special this year?”
I like his logic. Why mess with a good thing.
Good things are coming your way, too, on this Fun Foto Friday. I went a little overboard with all the excitement on this special day. Here’s to love and laughter!
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