Friday the 13th

I don't have to tell you that today is Friday the 13th. On this day that is feared by those that are superstitious, men across America have to finalize their plans on what to do, purchase, or both, for their sweethearts. For many men, Valentine's Day is a feared "holiday" because of the enormous pressure and expectations put on them by the media, Hallmark, and women who want to feel special. In a classic episode of the hit TV show, The Office, this was played out well as Phyllis received flowers and gifts all day long from her boyfriend, while the other women in the office stewed because they received nothing from their "lovers". Nobody wants to be showed up! Why does this "holiday" exist? To make men and women feel insecure? To spur the florist, candy, and greeting card industries? Actually, it goes back a long way. A little research finds that Valentine's Day has roots going back to ancient days.

"The lovers' holiday traces its roots to raucous annual Roman festivals where men stripped naked, grabbed goat- or dog-skin whips, and spanked young maidens in hopes of increasing their fertility", said classics professor Noel Lenski of the University of Colorado at Boulder.

"The annual pagan celebration, called Lupercalia, was held every year on February 15 and remained wildly popular well into the fifth century A.D.—at least 150 years after Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire."

"The early church pegged the festival to the legend of St. Valentine. According to the story, in the third century A.D. Roman Emperor Claudius II, seeking to bolster his army, forbade young men to marry. Valentine, it is said, flouted the ban, performing marriages in secret. For his defiance, Valentine was executed in A.D. 270—on February 14, the story goes. While it's not known whether the legend is true", Lenski said, "it may be a convenient explanation for a Christian version of what happened at Lupercalia."

So don't walk under any ladders today, and avoid black cats at all costs, but be sure you get that card, chocolate, and flowers for your lady...she'll be expecting it!