Most people associate Valentines Day with expressions of their feeling of love.
And there are some who believe the day to be St Valentine’s birth date.
It seems that Valentine was a priest who was probably martyred on February 14th in the name of love.
Valentine lived during the third century in Rome. The festival is associated with another ‘Valentine’ who was a bishop in Interamna and was martyred in Rome.
Claudius the Goth, the Emperor of Rome determined that unmarried men made better soldiers, and therefore decreed ‘marriage’ illegal.
Valentine opposed the decree and persisted in solemnizing unions.
When Valentine’s secret practice was revealed to the emperor, the latter decided to put Valentine to death.
Valentine fell in love with the jailor’s daughter, (who it seems was blind, and whose sight he miraculously restored) while imprisoned and sent the first greeting card to his lady love signed: ‘From your Valentine’
Also, children celebrate the festival by exchanging gifts and cards with their friends.
Another legend claims that Valentine was an early Christian, who refused to worship many gods and loved children.
The most interesting custom associated with this ‘Loving Day’ is of unmarried women waking up early to stand on their window and watch men passing by with the hope that the first man they (the women) see, will marry them (If the man is already committed, then it will probably be someone who looks like that man)
Read what William Shakespeare writes:
(Sung by a woman in the play, Hamlet)
Good morrow! Tis St Valentine’s Day
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your valentine.
Received from Internet:
LIFE IN ABUNDANCE COMES ONLY THROUGH GREAT LOVE There is no force more potent than love. Take away love and your world is a tomb. Your life echoes emptiness without love. With it, your life will vibrate with warmth and meaning. Even during hardship, love will shine through. As you look back upon the events in your life you will find that the moments that stand out, the moments when you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love. If you have it, you don’t need to have anything else, and if you don’t have it, it doesn’t matter what else you have. Therefore, search for love. Once you have learned to love, you will have learned to live. Love is the most important ingredient to your success. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Tell me the meaning of Love
Kali as Krishna
As I understood it, from an article by Devdutt Pattanaik
Kali is dark, Shiva is fair (Karpura, like camphor)
Krishna is dark, Radha is fair.
Shiva did not speak a word until Parvati came to his life.
Radha did not open her eyes until Krishna was born.
Parvati once asked Shiva: “ What is love”?
Shiva replied:
When you feed me like Annapoorna, asking for nothing in return…I feel love
When you come to me as Kamakhya and are desirous of me… asking for nothing in return…I feel love
When you come to me as Gauri, delicate and demure and allow me to dominate you…knowing full well that you cannot be dominated… asking for nothing in return…I feel love.
When you come to me as Durga bearing weapons in your hand and protect me, I feel secure and safe and cared for… asking for nothing in return…I feel love.
When you come atop me as Kali and dance over me, unafraid to be powerful and vulnerable, and unafraid of being mocked and judged… You make me open my eyes.
I realize Lalita, the beautiful one, who is also Bhairavi, the fearsome one. I realize Mangala, the auspicious one, is also Chandika, the violent one.
I see you totally without judgement, and I realize I am capable of seeing the truth. That you allow me to see you fully, without judgement tells me I have become trustworthy…in joy I dance, I become Nataraja…
Shakti smiled.
Shiva said: “Since you have done so much for me-I want to do the same for you”.
So Shiva became (gori gori) Radha…
And Radha taught Krishna the meaning of love.
Shakun Kimatrai 