Valentine’s, Lent in holy alliance
An odd set of circumstances occurs this year — today is both Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday. Therefore, some cautions should be taken.
For instance, if you have a date and he shows up wearing ashes, you shouldn’t say, “Oh! You have a smudge on your forehead! Let me take care of that!” Then wipe them off. Likewise, before you buy your sweetie a big heartshaped box of candy, you might want to make sure she hasn’t given up chocolate for Lent. Of course, if you’ve given up something else, then you can eat all the chocolates yourself, so there might be advantages.
Ash Wednesday is a religious tradition, celebrated by fewer people than the unlimited-byany-faith Valentine’s Day, so a bit of explanation may be useful for those who don’t observe the former. On Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, many observant Christians go to church and receive an outward sign of their faith via ashes on the forehead. These are applied more-or-less in the shape of a cross, although it is not an artistic competition and the ashes sometimes end up looking more like someone put out a cigar.
As for Lent, it’s a time when some Christians observe a tradition of fasting to commemorate the 40 days Jesus fasted in the desert. Some folks give up something for the duration of the season. Common things to forgo are the previously mentioned chocolates or sweets, or other favorite foods, although some opt for things like not watching TV. I always give up flour and dairy, which serves the double purpose of not only being sacrificial but also helps me to drop 12 or 15 pounds of the lard I’ve put around my middle over the preceding holidayfilled months.
Valentine’s Day, of course, is ubiquitous and needs little explanation. Therefore, I’m going to give you some because that’s the sort of jerk I am.
Giving flowers and candy, and sending greeting cards, are longheld traditions. Some people have no idea why, though. The existence of Valentine’s Day goes back to St. Valentine, a Christian martyr. There is a lot of dusty and mostly unsubstantiated history concerning Valentine, but his generosity and caring are the things for which he is best remembered and serve as the basis for today’s celebrations of love. And his existence is also the reason why some hard-core grammarians will get upset when you forget to put an apostrophe in the name of the holiday.
It should also be noted that both of today’s celebrations occurring on the same date means that Easter will fall on April Fool’s Day this year. Just in case any heathens are formulating jokes about that coincidence, I feel I should note that when the women told the apostles that Jesus’ tomb was empty, and Peter and John started running there to check it out, Mary Magdalene did not run after them shouting, “April Fools!” Those of us with the ashes on our foreheads today thank you in advance for your restraint.
Before you buy your sweetie a big heart-shaped box of candy, you might want to make sure she hasn’t given up chocolate for Lent.