Hello,
What a beautiful Morning it is, cold but my heart is yet warm: Son-Shining Bright and “I AM STILL HERE”. GOD IS AWESOME!
As we all know, today is the day for LOVE, GIFTS, and much JOY, at least for some, BUT for others not so much. Today, many will celebrate their loved ones with extravagant gifts, pricey dinners, trips, and plenty more. For others, it will bring on depression, heartbreak, loneliness, and wishful thinking (boy have I been here, but another time another day).
This is the day deemed “ST. VALENTINE’S DAY”; AS HISTORY SAYS, IT IS THE DAY SET ASIDE FOR LOVE.
I personally set this day aside to launch the “Journaling To My Truth Blog”, because I was ecstatic to speak on this day of love. But as I began to gather my thoughts and began to write, before I got through my first paragraph: the Lord spoke, and said, “Do you even know the history of Valentine’s Day? Do you even know exactly what it is you are writing about? This took me aback because for all my years I’ve celebrated this holiday, as many of us do. And never really knew exactly when and who started it, nor gave any thought to researching its “history”. Just like many of the holidays we celebrate, it was a tradition, at home, in school, and the world. So, the task began and anyone that knows me, knows I love to learn, I love to study new things, old things, ANYTHING, LOL. And if you knew my mom (miss her so much) you knew it was a given: she was big on saying “RESEARCH IT”, THEN WRITE ME A PARAGRAPH OR TWO ABOUT WHAT YOU FOUND OUT!! So of course, it became a “norm” for me, and was something I passed on to my kids, lol; and yes, they talked behind my back, lol.
The tedious journey began, I started with Google, which for the most part, explained it as we all celebrate it. It was a holiday based on the many traditions of American culture: and is said that it started when the Catholics set aside a day to honor 3rd-century Catholic priest, Saint Valentine’s death. History says, he secretly married couples in love against the rulings of then Emperor Claudius ll: which is said to be the cause of his death. This was partly true, but wasn’t the complete history; I read more, and found that the history of Valentine’s Day is not what many of us thought, “WELL NOT ME AT LEAST”!! As I said, never gave it a second thought, but “don’t judge me guys”, this tradition has been around way before I was born.
Just like we were taught in school, reading is “FUNDAMENTAL”!! So, this led me to dig deeper and “BAM”, the truth Y’all!! And yes, I get excited about corny things like this, lol. Anyways, here’s where my “Journey To My Truth” led me!
St. Valentine’s Day is merely an EXTRACTION of the many “Pagan Holidays” we’ve been taught to celebrate.
Many of which, date to Ancient Rome, sacrificial offerings, Polytheistic Religious Holidays, and ‘DEVILISH ACTS” dating back to OVER TWO-THOUSAND YEARS AGO. “WE THE PEOPLE” have taken on these changed/hidden “RITUALS” now called “TRADITIONS”. But first, a few defined words, so that “WHAT I AM SAYING” is completely absorbed. Polytheism is the worship of or belief in multiple deities: meaning a Polytheist is people who believe and worship many gods/goddesses. Pagans were polytheists and believed in human sacrifices, rituals, worshipping nature, and many other things.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY? Do we continue to celebrate it as we know it? Or not?
Briefly, let me explain how the Pagan’s celebrated what they called the “Lupercalia” (a pastoral festival): a different name, but the same foundation. During this time the ritual was to “cleanse” the city for good health and fertility, and between February 13th and 15th, they performed specific rituals. The men would sacrifice a goat and a dog as the women waited, and then took the hide, stripped it. They dipped the hide in the sacrificial blood and then proceeded to whip the women with it. The “RITUAL” was said to enhance the women’s fertility, they put their names in a “lottery jar” and the men picked from it to determine who they would whip. As this was going on they celebrated Loudly, naked, and drunk: and many unspeakable acts were performed during the festivities”.
SO, MY LOVELY PEOPLE, I JUST HIT A WALL!!
As a Christian, this did not sit well with me and to know what this day represents and how degrading it was to women: I HAVE QUESTIONS AND A DECISION TO MAKE?
MY QUESTIONS
If the rituals are no longer used in today’s traditions, and the “now” holiday is based on love, the exchange of gifts, etc., then:
- DO WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT IT FROM WHERE IT IS TODAY? AND CELEBRATE?
OR - DO WE CONSIDER HISTORY AND STOP CELEBRATING IT?
CURIOUS MINDS WANT TO KNOW YOUR OPINION”
THEREFORE, I’m asking For YOUR ANSWERS and thoughts! SO, PLEASE COMMENT YOUR REPLIES OR EMAIL ME AT mscomekia@journalingtomytruth.com
I will pick a few of your replies and post them (with your permission) throughout the week.
I will post my decision in tomorrow’s edition of “INQUIRING MINDS & EXQUISITE THOUGHTS”.
ALWAYS LADIES AND GENTS!
HAVE A BLESSED DAY AND KNOW THAT “SOMEBODY LOVES YOU”!!
UNTIL TOMORROW,
COMEKIA