Couple guys in Buzzy’s Country Store yesterday commented as they were about to leave “Gotta go. Gotta stop and get the wife some flowers for tomorrow Valentine’s Day.” It served to remind me how much the florist industry must love Valentine’s Day. (It also made me make a note to self “Next February, stop by Weis, pick up some bouquets of roses, mark ’em up a dollar or two and have them on hand at Buzzy’s to save my guys from having to leave and make an extra stop on their way home.” See? The longer I stay behind that counter, the more I’m beginning to think like Buzzy!)
It also made me think what a joke the whole Valentine’s Day thing is. It is my nominee for the worst holiday. (I go back to the kids definition of a holiday – if school’s not closed, then it is not a worthwhile holiday.)
If you think I am being too curmudgeonly on this, try googling “Worst holidays” and you’ll see that I am not alone in this assessment of VD being the worst of the worst holidays.
As for Lupercalia, Lupa is the Latin word for she-wolf. The following explains the origins of Valentine’s Day and how it initially started as a 3 day gig celebrated from Feb 13 thru the 15th:
The popular Christian-based take on VD’s origins involves St. Valentine who was martyred on 14 Feb (click here.)
Here is a short video that walks you thru the origins and evolution of Valentine’s Day.
Bottom line, if you want to try and get lucky tonight, go get those flowers and chocolate covered strawberries for your other half and plan on enjoying your day/evening. If on the other hand you regard today as I do, swing down Buzzy’s and as long as you don’t wish me Happy Valentine’s Day, I’ll buy you a drink!
Here just may be the most perfect Valentine’s Day song ever recorded: