The Calendar
February's Desktops
All of the biggest technological inventions created by man - the airplane, the automobile, the computer - says little about his intelligence, but speaks volumes about his laziness.
Mark Kennedy
Love is in the air...
...it's that time of the year where you have to spend money on possibly the biggest commercial fad of all time! Why, if you need to tell someone you love them, do you have to have to make a point on the 14th February to do it?? Spending inordinate amounts of money on confectionery, jewellery and floral arrangements of a pink, fluffy and overpriced nature.
The history of Valentines Day is far more interesting than the commercial rubbish attributed to it these days. We did a piece for Valentines Day last year but it was very interesting, and seeing as I'm in charge of writing all this, we're gonna have it again...
St. Valentines Day.
"Just who was St. Valentine?"
Well one legend has it that Valentine was a cleric who served in the Roman army during the 3rd Century AD. At this time the then Emperor, Claudius, decreed that young men were to be prevented from marrying, as single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families. Valentine however objected most strongly to this decree and began to champion the cause of young lovers throughout the Empire. He continued to wed these couples in secret. When Claudius discovered this, he had Valentine put to death. Valentine was martyred in the name of love and his name became synonymous with this particular date.
Another legend, views Valentine as having sent the first 'Valentine' greeting himself. Whilst in prison, it is rumoured that Valentine fell in love with a young girl who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine', an expression that is still used to this day. There are numerous other legends surrounding the mysterious Valentine, however, what is clear is that this man, this saint, remains a heroic, compassionate and undeniably romantic figure.
So there you have it. Good, old Saint Valentine, martyred in the name of love! And who says romance is dead...
Our next calendar download will be available on Thursday, 1st March.