Posted on 02/09/2007 1:31:15 AM PST by sully777
"...While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial -- which probably occurred around 270 A.D -- others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.
To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.
The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed..."
The old standby and quite silly... J. Geils Band: Love Stinks
From the "Haven't accepted it yet" love song department Gin Blossoms: Till I Hear It From You
Who could ask for more: Love and Italian food?Dean Martin: That's Amore
Flirting with a girl in a silly movie...The Beatles: Hide Your Love Away
My personal all-time favorite love song...The Beatles: Julia
Can you play a girl like a guitar? The Beatles: Another Girl
And finally, this is not a love song but a love of life song Louis Armstrong: Wonderful World
Click the Picture Upper Class Twit of the Year
You do start early.
We're like Carville and Matalin, though in our case we both look like human beings, not just her.
Don't spend ANY money
is code
for
You BETTER spend money.
You got my name and my image...
Are you bringing the sun and some heat with you?
You've got guts...
Some of my favorite Superbowl commercials
http://www3.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd9aj7X5f1Y (Taco Bell Lions)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH7qE7mFoMU&NR (Doritos Check Out Girl)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGGDLdl4ycM&NR (Sierra Mist Free Comb-over Beard)
Sun yes
Heat no
Sorry to say.
Guess I'll have to stay frozen then...
At least we are up to 2 digits now.
Howdy!
And I love you, too, Sherri--just not in That Way. :)
Checking in from Kaiserslautern, Germany!
In Japan on Valentines day the girls give the guy chocolate and get nothing in return not even a card.
They have to wait a month for March 14 or White Day for the guys to give them presents.
Whatever were we thinking!!!
Are you sorry for your sins?
Sins? I don't see any sins...
No? What kind of Catholic ARE you?
Catholic? I'm not Catholic, I'm Jewish!
Then why are you telling me?
Father, I'm 92 years old, and I'm telling EVERYBODY!
What do you call someone who can speak two languages?
Bi-Lingual
What do you call someone who can speak three languages?
Tri-Lingual
What do you call someone who only speaks one language?
American!
Last summer, down on Lake Isabella, located in
the high desert, an hour east of Bakersfield , CA , some folks, new to
boating, were having a problem. No matter how hard they tried, they
couldn't get their brand new 22 foot boat, going. It was very sluggish
in almost every maneuver, no matter how much power they applied. After
about an hour of trying to make it go, they putted into a nearby
marina,
thinking someone there may be able to tell them what was wrong. A
thorough topside check revealed everything in perfect working
condition.
The engine ran fine, the out-drive went up and down, and the propeller
was the correct size and pitch.
So, one of the marina guys jumped in the water to check underneath. He
came up choking on water, he was laughing so hard.
Under the boat, still strapped securely in place, was the trailer!
yeah.. they made great slingshot ammo.
Morning people!
Valentine's day, eh?
Look up these two songs then:
Nightwish - Nymphomaniac Fantasia (It is a twisted song)
Dope Stars Inc - Kiss (Oriinally done by London After Midnight, but still twisted.)
Checking in!
Caption by Titan Magroyne
I've heard.
Valentine's Day...otherwise known as "Single Awareness Day."
Good ones, Ben!
You know how it is...Las Vegas has about a week of winter here and there, and then we have a week or two of spring, then lots of months of summer before a week or two of fall.
Rain this week...but temps around 70.
Great photo! Looks like the beginnings of a frozen rainbow!
Pretty, where's that at?
IOTP?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
