Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
Jim Geraghty's Morning Jolt announces that he's "joining the bandwagon of Valentine’s Day Haters, or Skeptics, or Grumps."
His first two points are fine -- the holiday is brutal for single people and it's weird for children. But his third point is ridiculous:
The timing is weird. I don’t know about you, but the stretch between the Super Bowl and March Madness or Spring Training is just about the gloomiest part of the year. Anything positive associated with winter is long since spent. If you’re an area that gets snow, the novelty and fun is gone and you’re tired of shoveling. Everybody’s got colds or the flu or Bronchitis. Going outside requires puffy coats that make you look like a sumo wrestler. The ice scraper for your car is cracked. The bills for the holiday spending are coming due. You’ve probably blown your New Year’s resolutions.
Perhaps that’s why February ends up with so many holidays that feel just tossed into it: Groundhog Day, President’s Day, National Organ Donor Day, Leap Day. It’s such a miserable time of year, everyone tries to distract themselves with extra holidays.
Yes, why didn't St. Valentine have the decency to get martyred on a different day in a different month! Didn't he just get killed for his Christian faith as part of an elaborate plan to offset the mid-winter doldrums?
See, Valentine's hagiography is totally shaky (which is why this date isn't on all Christian calendars and is of less importance than others) but his feast date was established by the late 5th century. I'm no historian, but I believe that's before the first Super Bowl.
As for the rest of it -- I'm pretty ambivalent. I do like to reflect on St. Valentine and his martyrdom.
And my daughter's Phineas and Ferb valentines cracked me up (e.g. "Will You Be My Nemesis?" -- Dr. Doofenshmirtz). I love my husband and am thankful for him. But this is not a day we really mark.
And you?
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Oct '11
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
Awkward this year in particular, the day after Ash Wednesday, when I'm giving up sugar for Lent. I just shoved the first chocolate what-have-you of the workday in a drawer for consumption (if it's still even edible) after Easter.
But even in years where it doesn't land in Lent, it's a pretty "meh" day for me.
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
I should mention that the Orthodox note two different Valentines and their days are in the Summer. Maybe I should let Jim know ....
Mar '11
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
After 33 years Meh?
Sep '12
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
I think it is important to celebrate us, especially today and on our anniversary. We usually just go to dinner and a movie. It's the one time we take in a romcom if there's a good one. We've had some epic failures on the show, though. One year we saw The Crying Game. We had heard it was good but didn't know what it was about. Another year we saw Capote. We knew it wasn't a romcom, but didn't realize just how much it would kill the mood.
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
Hilarious.
Oct '11
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
I have to work this evening (gotta love IT), but we are planning to take in the new "Die Hard" this weekend...
Sep '12
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
That should put you both in a mood of some sort, Kelly!
May '12
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
Any excuse to party with the wife is okay by me.
Oct '11
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
Indeed! But then our Christmas movie staples include "Love, Actually" (nudity) and "RED" (massive cartoon-like violence) now, so it works for us.
Dec '10
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
Actually fear does stimulate, well not romantic, but some type of sexual arousal for both parties and the guy won’t be nauseated rom some sick-sweet romcom.
Aug '10
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
For Valentines Day, I bought my girlfriend a USB NES controller.
We like to play old Nintendo NES games on the computer via an emulator, but she hates playing with a Playstation-style controller.
Me, I think she's just being a silly irrational girl about the issue, but whattayagonnado? ;-)
Geek girlfriends are awesome.
May '10
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
I understand about the "confusing for children" part. My 5 year old son asked me yesterday if Valentine's Day was every girl's birthday. Hubs and I are going out tomorrow evening for dinner, but that's about it. We don't make time for date night nearly enough, so Vday is a good thing. It is also nice to get the sweet notes and handmade valentines my boys make for me. I do feel bad for the lonely hearts out there. I've been there.
Aug '10
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
Kelly B
I have to work this evening (gotta love IT), but we are planning to take in the new "Die Hard" this weekend...
The reviews I've read, from geek movie reviewers who usually know what they're talking about, are terrible. If you're a big John McClane fan, you're advised to skip it. Much like the awful Live Free Or Die Hard, it's a "Die Hard Movie" in name only.
Go rent Die Hard With A Vengeance instead. It's the last "real" Die Hard movie.
I'd suggest renting the first one, but I firmly believe people should only watch Die Hard at Christmas time.
Ho ... ho ... ho ...
Oct '11
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
Misthiocracy
The reviews I've read, from geek movie reviewers who usually know what they're talking about, are terrible. If you're a big John McClane fan, you're advised to skip it. Much like the awful Live Free Or Die Hard, it's a "Die Hard Movie" in name only.
Go rent Die Hard With A Vengeance instead. It's the last "real" Die Hard movie.
I'd suggest renting the first one, but I firmly believe people should only watch Die Hard at Christmas time.
Ho ... ho ... ho ... · 0 minutes ago
Bruce Willis and explosions and movie popcorn - it'll work out okay! I agree that the original is a Christmas movie, though.
Aug '10
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
It's too bad G.I. Joe Retaliation isn't out yet. That looks like a better brainless Bruce Willis & 'splosions flick.
Dec '12
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
I was very annoyed with Jim throwing President's day in with Groundhog Day and Valentines Day. As a country we should be celebrating the two greatest Presidents to remind us of the divine providence that gave us the two men we needed at critical times in our history.
...
However, I would agree that Valentines Day is awkward for school children who are forced essentially to celebrate romantic love when they really don't understand it. Jim says it is mean to singles, but you have to separate out the lonely singles not by choice from the singles by choice (i.e. misanthropes). To us Valentines Day is not mean, it is just very annoying.
Apr '11
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
For many years I just ignored Valentine's Day. Had no reason to celebrate. I always celebrated Feb. 15th, however, also known as Discount Candy Day.
Dec '10
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
What about the fact that VD is short for Venerial Disease?
Mar '11
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
I have nothing to say about the timing, and only this this little bit to say about the "weirdness" for children. When a child, I never found Valentine's day weird any more than I found the rest of the adult world so. I encountered it in such childish ways as were available and waited (impatiently) to be grown. I think that is right for children. What I want to comment on is the painfulness of Valentine's Day for the single. I have been uncoupled almost all my life. It's true that Valentine's Day is an unpleasant reminder of that fact. However, there is a strategy for this. It is to suck it up, and to take vicarious pleasure in the enjoyment that those who can enjoy the holiday receive. Those who are for one reason or another unable to partake of any given celebration do suffer somewhat. That is no reason to bar or undercut the joy of the celebrants. A little generosity is in order. Sympathy for the celebrants; no quarter to Scrooge!
Jun '12
Re: Jim Geraghty and the Moveable Feast of Valentine
I wouldn't celebrate it if left to my own devices, but my wife is big on it. Being a clueless sort, it took me a couple of years to figure that out. I don't need to do much, but I do need to do something. This year it's a small gift and a card. We have a bunch of stuff to get done around the house so we're doing take-out instead of dinner out.