And just like that…

It’s February.

The Romans, way back in the days of togas and loincloths – ya know, before cell phones came into being, named this month for februa, the ancient mid-month festival of ritual purification. This was later subsumed into Lupercalia. ‘the fuck was that? A slightly less ancient pagan “purification” fest which went down from the 13th through the 15th.

Yeah, Valentines Day time.
Like they’ve done with Easter (spring equinox), Christmas (winter solstice), Lent, etc., etc., Christians repurposed a BIG pagan celebration in order to lure the marks into their tent. Yup, grifting, scam artists for their god. Some things never change, eh?

Just FYI and shit:

• Saint Valentine, the dude the day's named for, was NOT martyred for love (or LURV in the current vernacular). Nope, he was busted for being too gabby and pushy about the new religious fad. Not sweet OR sexy.
• It was in the 5th century that Pope Gelasius made the executive decision to recycle the festival of februa/Lupercalia – make it all christian-ish. So, a dead evangelical guy’s shoved into a traditionally wild-with-the-sex-and-violence fest. Huh. 

Or mebbe Gelasius wasn't intentionally making with the con-artist swicherooni – trés suspicious but debatable.

 

Lupercalia, by the by, was in NO way the sweethearts, candy, mushy poetry and flowers deal that V-day is now. Nope.

Unlike Valentine’s Day, Lupercalia was a bloody, violent and sexually-charged celebration awash with animal sacrifice, random matchmaking and coupling in the hopes of warding off evil spirits and infertility. (source)

Despite all this cool, old pagan, fun stuff, February is my most despised month of the year. WHY, you might wonder, do I loathe this month to such a febril degree? I’m sick of winter. It’s forbiddingly cold outside and, even indoors, I’m wearing too many layers. There’s ice and ugly soot encrusted snow on all the streets and, though I live across the street from beauty, I RILLY miss the gorgeous green leaves and flowers. November, December and January have been lived through. I’m DONE.

This winter’s been VERY mild so far – too mild. Yesterday's teen temps were the exception not, as in past years, the rule. Still, I’m ready for more sunshine and highs in the mid 40s (at least!). The upside – there are only 28 days to endure and, for four those, I'll be in Iceland. 

Yeah, some folks go south in the winter. Me? I follow the Gulf Stream.