Valentine's Day 2012

Hallmark loves this one, everything turns red, then the hysteria of getting the "right gift" for the loved one, the romance, the chocolates, the pressure to get a ring and propose and all that silly stuff.

HDD believes that St. Valentine's Day has been distorted beyond recognition with glitz, kitsch, and sappy, superficial materialism.

Where is the real Valentine from? What was his deal when he lived? How did he die? What would he think about all of this "red" card stuff?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine's_Day



He was persecuted, interrogated (most likely tortured) by the Roman Emperor Claudius II, who had an ultra cruel streak in him toward any one deemed a Christian.



http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/st-valentine-beheaded

In around 270 A.D. Valentinius, a priest, was beheaded by the Romans i.e. Claudius "the Cruel", for continuing to marry lovers in secret, something the Roman hierarchy was strongly opposed to due to the need to draft men into the army.





The cruelty of the Romans is hardly mentioned in the modern rendition of St. Valentine with hearts and cards and chocolates. Instead, like most "Hallmark Holidays" it has become a materialistic frenzy with little or no context to its origins over the centuries.

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=159

Apparently there were 3 different St. Valentines and from reliable archives and historical data, one of them is buried in Dublin, Ireland.

http://carmelites.ie/ireland/whitefriar%20st/valentine.htm




By hypnotizing the masses around the world into thinking that romance and love are associated with the ideas of nice red roses, boxes of chocolates and cards, the majority have been duped every February 14th.



And here in New York City, if you're trying to get a table at a restaurant on Feb. 14th, as they say in Brooklyn - FUGGET-ABOUT-IT