Since everyone I know seems to be locked into a progression of holidays it seems only appropriate that I point out the worst fact of all about this particular holiday. There are several and most do not fit with the annoyingly happy gift giving sappy cherub loving crap. The pagans and you have to love the pagans for this picked a day in the middle of February to celebrate fertility. The Romans not wanting to be out done had a woman lottery where they would essentially raffle off young women to spend a year with the participating men – most of the time this year ended in marriage (gee wonder why that is) This lottery took place only after proper sacrifices of goats, dogs, and other livestock and whipping the women with the skins…. yeah romantic.
This brings us to the Catholics, the Roman’s who sacrificed not one but several people named Valentine or Valentinus and the Catholics were set on making them martyrs. Nothing like celebrating death with love. Perhaps they did this just because it has always been frowned upon to celebrate love with death.
When asked my simple response is that I don’t celebrate holidays. Not due to religion I am Catholic which is not only a church of contradictions, riches, and holidays.
There are however a few things that they symbols of valentine’s day make me think of.
Cupid – cherubim servants of god who held the fiery sword barring the doors to Eden. Light bringer was a cherubim. He is also known by quite a few other names such as morning star and if you don’t know who that is study your lore.
Hearts – Now there’s a better image. Hearts bring to mind blood, pounds, skipping a beat, and how you could slip a small knife through the muscle between the ribs because it is only two inches to touch someone’s heart. Although this is probably not the type of touch the valentine’s day card writers mean. How slick blood is and how it changes colour as it leaves the body going from crimson to dull red.
Harlequin – Don’t ask why there is this association. For some reason valentine’s day always brings up the image of the character Harley Quin.
Aphrodisiac poisoned cupcakes and chocolates. It would be interesting to do and even more interesting to read the headlines in the newspaper or watch reporters try and describe the tragedy of hundreds literally fucking themselves to death. Oh come on you can’t say that you haven’t thought of it. If they poison Halloween candy why not…
It just reminds me of valentine’s day.
Can't Sleep Clowns Will Eat Me 
Delightful, if not a bit cheery. But I dig the secret aphrodisiac dosing of the masses. Be a hell of a show.
As you never guaranteed dark I never guaranteed cheery. And don’t tell me you have never thought of dosing chocolates and cupcakes then standing back and watching the delicious chaos that would ensue.
History can be a spiked whip across tender cheeks, can’t it? 😀 I’m amazed at how ignorant people are of the past, but then it always has been a singularly rich source of inspiration for my work as an artist. The more you research, the more interesting the last 40,000 years of tumultuous human history becomes. I’m of the opinion that we’re psychologically not much different than the folk which hunted cave bears.
I love the whole what holidays mean now thing. Every holiday has very different origins than what they say and what is now.