Published: Monday - February 11, 2008
Words by CZA
The rose is one of the most popular gifts for Valentine's Day (Photo: na/)
You feel it, don't you? The fine hair on the back of your neck is rising in anticipation. This one may or may not go your way, but rest assuredly, you won't forget it. People from all walks of life from every corner of the globe are subject to this virus, this plague that resurrects itself each year on precisely the same day. February 14th. Sounds like a dope horror movie, but it's something much scarier. Valentine's Day.
I won't front and say that I dislike the holiday or that guys who buy their girls gifts especially for this day are love struck simps because deep down, I'm a bit of a romantic at heart. Not a whole helluva lot, but it's there enough to want to do something meaningful for my lady friend now and again. What I have a problem with is the mass acceptance of a preordained holiday built around consumerism and implicating that you're showing "love" when you cop some rocks. I've even seen relationships end because a fella didn't remember this day.
Go Baby! (Whoop Whoop) Go Baby! (Whoop Whoop)
Originally, Valentine's Day was an honor given to many of the martyred of Rome until 1969 when the focus was moved to three main saints. Of the many saints, only two were buried at La Flaminia (a road from Rome to Rimini) on February 14th, being described either as a priest in Rome, or a Bishop of Interanma. The Catholic encyclopedia mentions a 3rd Valentine, but the only information given on him is that he was martyred in Africa.
Pope Gelasius I was the first to have a feast in Valentine's honor even though there was no factual public knowledge about the men being toasted, and so much of what is believed comes from myths and tales. In the Legende Aurea (The Golden Legend), St. Valentine was persecuted for being a follower of Christianity and performing secret marriages for the young men of Rome. (To which Claudius had a problem, because married men weren't as good a soldier for his army.)After being captured by the Roman army, he was personally interrogated by the Roman emperor Claudius II . Valentine moved the emperor so much that Claudius tried to convert him to Paganism in order to spare his life. St. Valentine in turn tried to convert Claudius to Christianity and was executed for it. According to the legend, before he died, he restored sight to the daughter of his jailor. (I STILL don't see how this can be linked to romance!) Geoffrey Chaucer, an English poet, was the first one to have a recorded association of St. Valentine's Day with love and affection with his poem Parlement of Foules, written to commemorate the first year of engagement of King Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. The poem was set up to represent an old tradition that was fictional because there wasn't any before he made it up. The customs of the holiday were based on other traditions, and many falsely believe that the Lupercalia, a Roman festival used to do away with evil spirits that was celebrated from February 13th-15th, was the foundation for that which we know now.
The modern day February 14th celebration is less about remembering the very reason it was enacted --much like Christmas, Martin Luther King, Jr. or Veteran's Day, respectively, and more so on the money draining, expectation-of-getting-a-great-gift bankrupt-a-thon many would love you spend your hard earned duckets trying to uphold. What does this say about the women of today's independence? Not everywhere is where men must cater the case. China, for instance, has far more women giving candy, chocolate and flowers than men. March 14th, White Day was created for the men to reciprocate Valentine's Day with white chocolate and flowers, but more often lingerie and jewelry are the gifts of choice. Other notable days are the South Korean holiday Peparo Day and Black Day, a celebration for the single people.
It is expected for Americans to spend over $16 million dollars to woo the ones they care for—the average being about $100.00 per person. Whatever happened to "less is more" or "it's the thought that counts"? Consumerism is the name of the game, one that I ain't playing. To my married fellas, I suggest you play the game full tilt that is unless you like sleeping on the couch. (Does that even happen in real life? I mean come on!) My single guys keep doing your thing ‘cause I'm sure that bop is edging ever so close to her phone right now. Women hate being lonely, so by all means, help them out. To my ladies, really to my hustlin'/gold diggin' chicks clocking for a grip: keep on because there's a simp born every minute that needs exploitation and you might just be that one to do it.
That's it for the Polly this week, I figured y'all got something better to do (hopefully with somebody else) and we'll get back into it like we always do next time. Big shouts to Tariq Nasheed and Anna David... without y'all, this week's Polly wouldn't have been possible. From the bottom of my heart, thanks!
Hit me up at themondaypolly@gmail.com with some of your best (and worst) Valentine's Day stories and we'll chop it up right here.
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