County Commissioner Dianne Edmondson
February is often identified as “Love Month,” with Valentine’s Day falling right in the middle on the 14th. This year, I thought I’d explore this special day a bit, and I’ll share my findings with you.
Valentine’s Day has multiple origins, including a Roman festival, the martyrdom of a priest, and the celebration of courtly love. The ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia was celebrated in mid-February and was a fertility rite that involved pairing men and women together.
However, Pope Gelasius I made Feb. 14 a day instead to remember St. Valentine, replacing the festival of Lupercalia in the late 5th century. According to legend, a Catholic priest named Valentine was beheaded on Feb. 14 for performing weddings in defiance of Roman Emperor Claudius II.
When Oliver Cromwell was attempting to “purify” the English church in the mid-1600s, he banned all holidays, including Valentine’s Day. However, when the monarchy was restored in 1660, Valentine’s Day became popular once again, with courtiers gifting gloves and garters as opposed to today’s candy and flowers. Romantic cards and gifts date back to Old England and have fully evolved in our country into “must do” for any boyfriend or spouse. So, what is love in America today?
First of all, let’s define terms. “Love”—what is love? According to one dictionary, love is both a noun and a verb. It’s defined as a feeling of deep affection or an activity that one likes and enjoys very much. There are at least three types if love: romantic love, familial, or platonic love, and all three, as well as the word’s grammatical form, are illustrated in the following example: My husband is the love (n) of my life, and I also really love (v) my family and close friends.
What are my other loves that I enjoy very much? Well, I love classic country music, traditional hymns, romantic movies, meeting new people, traveling, helping constituents as your county commissioner, learning new things, and last, but not least, in this non-complete list, I love God and Country.
The month of February also brings us the long-established Presidents’ Day, celebrated this year on Feb. 17. Originally established in 1885 to honor President George Washington’s birthday, Presidents’ Day also pays tribute to President Abraham Lincoln whose birthday is Feb. 12, 1809, which would make this year the 206th since his birth. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968 set Presidents’ Day as a federal holiday on the third Monday of February.
This holiday helps us reflect on the founding of our nation as well as its values and the Constitution upon which our country is founded. Washington was nothing if not plain spoken in his idea of the American experience. A well-known quote reads, “Truth will ultimately prevail where there are pains to bring it to light.” Lincoln is known for several quotes as well. In a letter written in 1858, he wrote: “I believe the declaration that ‘all men are created equal’ is the great fundamental principle upon which our free institutions rest.” The powerful words of these great men still ring as true today as they did more than 200 years ago.
So, I hope you will join with me this month to declare “We LOVE America!”