***IMPORTANT BULLETIN*** 

If you read “Valentine’s Day” and then you said, “OH _____!!! I forgot!!” Please accept my heartfelt condolences! 

Some of my favorite sayings may best describe what’s coming down the pike:

“Your future is looking grim!”
“Brace yourself!!”
“You want what? When?!” 

Okay, sorry about that folks, but after learning about the other side of the story concerning Valentine’s Day, they needed a warning! Please refer below to my personal observation remarks!

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Yesterday, Sunday, Feb. 14, was Valentine’s Day! The day of love. You know me, I like to try to incorporate our special days with our beautiful open paces and wildlife. So, I decided to do a little research so I can better understand just what to portray.

Must say, it’s quite a long and interesting history! I must also say quite an interesting morphing from one end of the spectrum all the way to the other end. My photos are from my archives and hopefully depict the true spirit of Valentine’s Day.

LEARNING BY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q. What is Valentine’s Day and why do we celebrate it?

A. Saint Valentine’s Day is a day of love.  It is an annual festival celebrated around the world by people expressing their ROMANTIC LOVE, FRIENDSHIP & ADMIRATION FOR EACH OTHER.

Valentine’s Day, or Saint Valentine’s Day OR the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated on February 14 each year.  Originally, it was a feast day honoring one or more of the early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine (there were at least three saints with the name Valentine or Valentinus, according to “The History of Valentine’s Day” at History.com!).

Later, folk traditions evolved, turning the holiday into a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romantic love, friendship, affection and admiration for each other. It is celebrated in many regions of the world and is marked by the sending of greeting cards and gifts, dating and church services.

Q. What is Valentine’s Day?  How did it start? Who invented it?

A. Valentine’s Day started about 500 A.D.  It was created by Emperor/Pope Saint Gelasius I. He named the day after Saint Valentine or Saint Valentinus, early Christian Martyrs.  The name Valentine is derived from a Latin word “valens” meaning worthy, strong or powerful.

In ancient Rome, Pagan festivals celebrated love and fertility, with one celebration honoring the pagan god Lupercus on Feb. 15. Some scholars believe that by creating Valentine’s Day as a holy day, this allowed Christianity to take over and replace those old pagan practices. 

There is also a legend that says the Roman Emperor Claudius believed that young men, after getting married, would refuse to join the army out of love for their wives and banned marriages. The legend goes that a priest named Valentine defied these orders and continued to perform marriages. When he was caught, he was sentenced to death on the 14^th of February.  In fact, according to some sources, there may have even been more than one person named Valentine put to death on Feb. 14 during that time period!

Okay, regardless of which story you like, there is one constant: our Day of Love has some rather brutal beginnings! 

This holiday shifted dramatically in the 18^th century when young lovers began to exchange handmade cards. But by the 1800s, businesses got in on the action and printed cards sharing verses of love. By the 19th century, pre-printed cards flooded the market.

PERSONAL OBSERVATION 

A Day of Love!? “There are two sides to every story” is an accepted theory.  I am going to quote Paul Harvey, a famous columnist: “Here is the other side of the story.” 

FIRST:  Feb. 14, 1929, was the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre! The shots heard all around the world, seven gang members were lined up and “rubbed out” by machine guns during an organized crime territorial dispute in Chicago during Prohibition. The dispute was between the North-siders and the South Side Gang led by Al Capone!

SECOND:  Twenty two years later to the day, in 1951, another Valentine’s Day “massacre.” The last fight of a six-fight rivalry between Jake LaMotta and Sugar Ray Robinson, noted as being, “simply one of the most violent nights boxing has ever witnessed” by sports writer Kieran Spratt. This fight was so brutal that it was actually named after and referred to Chicago’s famous massacre!

Okay, now let us add in the Christian martyrs and the disobedient marrying priest, and now there are at least five other sides of this story! Not exactly a Day of Love! My observation is that our Saint Valentine’s Day, through the course of history, has certainly swung from one end of the spectrum to the other. And, it is certainly not exclusively known as “A Day of Love!”

With all this documented violence, wonder how those people who FORGOT made out! I believe they should refer to the squirrel photo, which I will title, “You’re NOT Getting Any!”

All kidding aside, let us focus on the positive.  Saint Valentine’s Day is a day celebrating romantic love, friendship, affection and admiration for each other!  I believe our photo of the week represents those very qualities in a wonderful open space setting! The other photos of pets and wildlife also bring full circle those very concepts and tell their own story just by observing!

NOTE:  There is NOT one hint of snow, ice or cold in any of the photos!!

Enjoy Your Open Space

Charlie Fineran

Charlie Fineran is Allamuchy’s Director of Open Space, Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission Chairman and Allamuchy Historical Society President.