Started by a group of feminists, “Quirkyalone Day” is celebrated on February 14 as an alternative to Valentine’s Day. It is geared toward people who “resist the tyranny of coupledom.”
Another alternate Valentine’s Day celebration is SAD (Single Awareness Day), which reminds people that they don’t need to be in a relationship to celebrate life.
Finally, another alternative is "V-Day" which was inspired by Eve Ensler's play, The Vagina Monologues. The purpose of V-Day is raise awareness about violence against women.
(ETA: I was surprised--and glad--that ECF didn't censor the play title!)
The symbol of the ribbon, which often adorns modern-day Valentines, is rooted in the Middle Ages. When knights competed in tournaments, their sweethearts often gave them ribbons for good luck.
The ancient Roman festival Lupercalia (festival of the wolf) is considered to be one precursor to Valentines Day. Celebrated from February 13-15, it was a purification and fertility ceremony. Reminiscent of the modern-day exchange of love notes on Valentines Day, boys would draw a girls name from a box on the eve of the festival and then escort her to the festival the next dayor, some scholars say, she would be his sexual partner for the next year.l
When scientist drilled through the ice of Antarctica’s Lake Vanda, they discovered that the water at the bottom of the lake was an amazingly warm 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Ice crystals actually heat the water by focusing on the bottom of the lake.
During the ancient Roman festival Lupercalia (an ancient precursor to Valentines Day), two boys would run through crowds of people swinging strings made from goatskins. If the strings touched a girl, it was divined that she would have healthy children when she grew up. The goatskins were called februa, which means to make clean and from which February derives.
On February 20, 1943 in a cornfield near the village of Paricutin, Mexico, the ground cracked open and began to spew red-hot rocks. A volcano was born. It grew to 35 feet the first day. By 1952, it had soared to 1,352 feet and had buried two towns.
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