Sainted Love

Holy Watermelon

It's the season of love, but the man we know as St. Valentine is a bit of a mystery, lost to time, and almost certainly an amalgamation of two or more men. Valentinus was a big fan of romantic love, as the story goes, but there's more to be unraveled.

Valentine's relics are scattered all over the planet, many of them in wax-sealed paper bags, which isn't much of a thrill for the average tourist. There's naturally some doubt on their authenticity, but that doesn't seem to stop anybody anymore.

More anciently, the middle of February was celebrated in Rome with the feast of Lupercalia, a great festival where the various cults of Rome would gather to purify and renew their city, and remember their furry heritage. This event also featured a romantic element--as long as you only asked the young men. Galatin's Day also celebrated the love of women among the Normans, and may have been a touch more civil by modern standards... Today, the only purification widely celebrated in Rome in February is that of Mother Mary, a carry-over celebration in Christianity informed by the Jewish tradition of faithful motherhood.

All this and more in this not-so-romantic entry.

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