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[Insert Love/Money Here]

Latter on I shall be reviewing which ever movie I end up watching in the cinema after spending my hard earned money feeding the corparate machine. "You're not forever alone, Obiwan?" I know that it makes sense that I would be because of the sattire and general distain for human life, but what can I say, chicks dig bastards and I am most definately a bastard.

Until that time I'm going to give you my 'Love of Profit' article about the real valentines day from my other more-formal blog, and if you're feeling that down then you can at least look at this very pretty blog and pretend that somebody loves you....

Love of Profit
Why do we celebrate Valentines day? Every year on February 14th I tell all those close to me the real story behind Valentines day only to be told that I am a 'misery-arse' and that I need to 'cheer up'. This year is my first year with a blog so with this post I aim spread my message of hostility all over the world.

The Original Valentines Day:
Although Saint Valentine was a real person who lived during the 2nd century, Valentines day is not actually named for him. Instead 'Valentine' is a pseudonym for all unknown Christian martyrs used by Pope Gelasius in 496 in implementing a day to remember the fallen Christian soldier, so in reality when you're asking somebody to 'be your valentine' you are actually asking them to give their lives for a noble Christian cause. This is still well known in the Catholic church which is why in 1969 Pope Paul VI, appalled with the commericailisation of this historic day, ordered  the removal of Valentines day from the Christian Calender.

How it all went Wrong:
As I mentioned Valentines day was never about love, so how did it become so? Well the first recorded incident of  a Valentines day day as we know it today was during the English Renaissance, where world renown poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote 'Parlement of Foules' which reads; "For this was Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate".

Google's Valentine Logo
Valentines Day as We Know It:
Although Chaucer had wrote this poem, it was still only the upper class and social elite who were even aware of his work, so at what point did it become the Valentines day you and I celebrate? Well believe it all not Valentines day wasn't publicly known worldwide until the early 19th century. Valentines day only became  so popular after the boom of the UK's greeting card industry in the late 18th century and was created to fill gaps in profit between Christmas and Easter, a trend which quickly spread across Europe and to the US.

So there you have it, although the Romans first created Valentines day, it was an Englishmen who first made it about romance, and the British who made it about profit. Every year the profit form Valentines day trade increases with last year totaling £1.3 in the UK alone, with traditional cards going out of fashion in lieu of bigger more expensive gifts (mostly perfume or jewelry).

-Profiteering or innovation at it's best?
-Who is to blame? The companies or the suckers who are willing to pay?

15 comments:

  1. :) I love it when people see through the fog. Good read.

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  2. All holidays are based on money. Companies live and die through the holidays.

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  3. Valentines day only exists to put a hole in my wallet. Sucks bro.

    Follow me at guysimfreakingout.blogspot.com

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  4. In Japan we celebrate VD, too. But it's purely commercial. No one knows who St. Valentine is. It's a convenient opportunity to treat girls.

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  5. I've heard about 40 versions of the Valentines origin story -- don't know which is true, but my favorite involves St. Valentine being martyred for performing marriages illegal under Roman law.

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  6. Valentines day just another normal day

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  7. @Maximo Pellgro It is just another day. I dislike it.

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  8. I like the true meaning of being someone's valentine, I'd love to be asked to die for a christian purpose.....

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  9. Rationality ftw. Lol I'm going to use that history from now on.

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  10. It's sad to see most holiday's now days are just mad grabs for cash.

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  11. all holidays are for money, always have been. I try to celebrate the "message". That's probaby because I'm poor.

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  12. I am ok with celebrating Valentines day it's a good message if you make the most out of it. But yeah I will never feel obligated to do anything, at the end of the day it really is just a made up consumer holiday

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