Here at The Year of Halloween, we don’t tend to celebrate those holidays that are full of twittering cupids and (non-anatomical) candy hearts. Valentine’s Day can seem downright frightening, and not in the fun way. However, as with many things in life, enjoyment is merely a matter of perspective. After all, long before flowers and candy became the hallmark of the holiday, Saint Valentine’s Day was instead dedicated to the veneration of a Roman martyr beaten with clubs and stoned, then finally beheaded when these brutal measures failed to kill him.
Speaking of ancient Romans, the middle of February was the time of the Lupercalia, a fertility festival with pre-Roman roots that included the celebration of Lupa, the she-wolf who suckled the infant Romulus and Remus, legendary twins who went on to found Rome. If traditions lost to history don’t appeal to you, consider instead February 14, 1929. This was the date of the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, where the balance of power in Gangland Chicago shifted permanently in a hail of bullets, as dramatized over at Blood, Roses, and Valentines: The Haunted History of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.
With these cheering thoughts in mind, darlings, I made this card to wish you the very spookiest of St. Valentine’s days.
Oh, and one final thought – today marks just 260 days to go until Halloween. Happy haunting!
Love & Squishes,
Eva
Categories: Art & Inspiration, History (Haunted and Otherwise), Holidays
Ah yes the good ole days, back when winning the lottery wasn’t such a great thing! Very informative thank you for posting it!
Exactly!🙂
I love history! Just as most do not know that the so called Christian holidays were actually taken from pagans in efforts to convert them!
One of the best holidays, great post:)
Thanks for stopping by!
Okay, so maybe I’ll celebrate next year, although I’m not sure my wife will appreciate the bloody gory history any more than she does the romantic side. We just usually let this particular holiday slip past unnoticed. But who knows? Maybe we can start a new tradition.
Oh, saw your post about The River, as well. Looks fun. And gives hope to us horror writers to see more and more acceptance in the mainstream market of the horrific side of storytelling.
Paul D. Dail
http://www.pauldail.com- A horror writer’s not necessarily horrific blog
Valentine’s is actually my second favorite holiday after Halloween. I love the heart-shaped kitsch, but I also dig bloody history. Thanks for sharing- your card rules!
It might not always be heart-shaped, but we have plenty of kitsch at The Year of Halloween – stop back anytime! 🙂