Happy Lupercalia
Posted on February 14, 2008
Filed Under Life Stuff, Opinion, Rants |
Ahhh, Valentine’s day. i’m not even going to lie to you, good reader, I hate it. I could go on some ranting mission about the commercial aspect and various card making companies to sell cards for this lull in the year. But no, the reason I hate it is ‘cos it hates me. Or it did. As a single young scamp a few years ago, it would inevitably end up with EVERYONE going out, me ending up drinking on my own (and getting pleasantly drunk) thinking “here’s to another lousy year”.
So after that whole era, though I am no longer single, I still have a solid hatred for the day. The tables in restaurants split into 2s only, the awkward couples who barely talk anymore, the bloke because he has to, the girl because she wants to be spoilt “for once in this bl**dy relationship”. Anyway, i decided to not do Valentines day, maybe cook something special, a card or flowers for my lovely lady for putting up with me, if going for a meal, do it another day, hell, you have 364 other days to do it (365 on a leap year).
Anyway, I am no relationship councillor, but the day gets my goat. My dad calls it by its Roman name “Lupercalia“, which i find brilliant. The Roman festival, which was held on the 13th-15th February was a different affair entirely. It’s all about signifying health and fertility. Typically, the Romans decided to make an orgy out of it, so after smearing blood of a dog and 2 goats on the foreheads of Luperci (it was human sacrifice before this). After a feast, the Luperci would wonder the streets whipping girls and young women.
Certainly different and beats the inevitable restaurant conversation our 40 year old couples of today might hold: “Edward, do you really have to eat your chicken like that?”, “of course I bloody do you silly woman” etc.
So Happy Lupercalia everyone, right, I’m off to find a dog and 2 goats.
Comments
Leave a Reply