26.1.12

Time for a rant - this time about love

It's nearly Valentine's Day and with thoughts of cherubs and hearts, flowers and chocolates everyone is happy and.......wait! people are not happy! No one is happy! Valentine's Day does not evoke happiness at all! Why? Well I'm glad you asked, pull up a chair, grab a coffee and a biscuit and read on....


Let's start with some history. As usual this 'Saint's' Day has been hijacked by the Christian Religions from ancient pagan times. In ancient Rome, 13, 14 and 15 February were celebrated as Lupercalia, a pagan fertility festival. This seems to be the basis for a celebration of love on this date.(do click the link as there was apparently spanking, whipping and all sorts going on!) anyway...fast forward to AD 496 ish where St Valentine gets to hijack the festival. St Valentine (it seems) was a bishop that went against Rome to allow and to actually carry out secret illegal marriages, so that's his precarious link with love sorted then....

Any way back to the present day, by now shops all over the UK (and no doubt other countries) are filled with Valentine's cards, gifts and general nagging to 'not forget'. Because what is more romantic than grabbing a preprinted card with a naff greeting inside (that you probably don't even read if you are a bloke) and scribbling a question mark inside it before bunging it at the object of your affections, maybe with a plastic rose or a 'Me-to-You' bear or a 'Tatty Teddy' (what every grown woman/man wants)

which leads nicely to the rant.(blimey you are thinking, I thought that was the rant!)

Married people do not like Valentines day, it makes them feel guilty if they do nothing but stupid if they do something, after all, we are already married! I can hardly be a secret Valentine to my husband! If we want to go out everywhere will be full up and more expensive than normal, AND getting a babysitter will be a nightmare unless we employ a couple of lovesick teens that have no where to go for a snog.

Single People do not like St Valentine's day. Why would you! Everywhere you look are couples and pictures of couples, advice on love and couply-ness. Vomit. Give me a break. If you are single it's either through choice, so shut up telling me I 'need' love. Or because I haven't found the right person and nagging me about it won't help, it'll just make me sob into my (bought for myself) chocolates.

What of singles 'in a relationship? do you like Valentines day? Surely you are either serious enough to fall into a similar category to the 'marrieds' or you are starting out and still in the lovely dovey stage anyway - you hardly need a special day!

From what I can see only teens and young kids like Valentines day - a perfect excuse for 'My friend fancies you' and secret drawn hearts on A4 paper in the art room slipped into lockers at breaktime. A a youngster it's cute.

BUT! we cannot escape the rampant march of capitalism, consumerism, and other things ending in -sm. (no one say it - I bet you are all thinking it though) And so my dearest blog readers I give you the chance (thanks to the lovely @carbontwelve on twitter) to have a relaxing a lovely Valentine's day regardless of age, sex, sexual orientation or marital status!
To be in with a chance to win a grown up present for yourself or a loved one for Valentine's day, just leave a comment telling me what you plan to do on 14th February, and email me your email address (or follow me on twitter) so I can contact you if you win.

The lovely present is a set of pretty candles, one scented with 'passion', (don't ask! but may help with the last -sm) , made by Steve Lawrie whose workshop is in the Abby Arcade, West Malling in Kent. They have a website too at http://www.katiescandlesandgifts.co.uk/

So to win these
Please let me know what you are up to! (Closing date for entries 7th February)

and the winner is Shareen+1 please email me your contact details so I can sort delivery!!



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