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# Posted 9:07 AM by Patrick Belton

LAST NIGHT I went to bed without you. Cold, naked, thinking of you, missing your warmth, your soft touch against my skin. Where were you last night, oh my lovely pyjamas?

A very happy St Valentine's Day to all our reader's and friends!

I was engaged in lengthy conversations with a Karachiite auntie about whether it is a ghastly (and un-Islamic) pagan ritual to practise St Valentine's Day, or whether, as a Christian holiday, it would enjoy the protections of, from her view, a prior dispensation. The answer, of course, is neither: it's purely biological. And no not in the sense Porter is now thinking. There are at least three St Valentine's included in early martyrologies, of whom Acta are preserved for two, but of comparatively late date and little historical value.

What all St Valentine's do share, however, is a feast date; and the belief was current in the Middle Ages that at mid-February, birds began to couple. Thus Chaucer in Parliament of Foules:

For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day
Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.

The Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913, to my mind as much an intellectual monument of its time as the 11th edition Britannica, notes 'The custom of choosing and sending valentines has of late years fallen into comparative desuetude.' It remains controversial in some religious Muslim and Shiv Sena circles, where a Jamaat-e-Islami leader in NWFP recently said it is a day on which 'people in the West are just fulfilling and satisfying their sex thirst.' He gives perhaps his opponents too much credit.

Those of you who prefer, though, may celebrate the Lupercalia for a proper bit of pagan fun.

(5) opinions -- Add your opinion

Comments:

Hallmark, having created the holiday, tries now to catch in with anti-valentine's day sentiment: the anti-Valentine's Day Teddy Bear. Enjoy.

# posted by

Patrick Belton : 12:25 PM

For the person with true style, there's also a Will you marry me? e-card.

# posted by

Patrick Belton : 12:31 PM

I'm quite fond of the better version of those classic candy hearts.

# posted by

Amanda : 10:09 PM

The companion piece of the picture:
Latest Bin Laden Videotape Wishes America 'A Crappy Valentine's Day':

"The teddy bear that holds the 'I love you' heart does not love you at all," Bin Laden said. "It is an unliving, unholy thing filled only with stuffing. Just as the Western infidel is not bestowed with the blessings of Allah, so shall he go unloved by the false bear."

# posted by

Jacob : 12:07 AM

Currently, most of us are using mobile phones. True to our nature, we have used the different features of these

sophisticated gadgets to put a smile on our faces and that of others. We are sending text messages that are really humorous

and listening to ring tones that would tickle our funny bones, every time the phone rings.

At present, a multitude of ring tones are easily available and can be downloaded in different models of mobile phone

handsets. Mobile phone users can choose from monophonic ring tones, polyphonic ring tones, true tones, real tones, SMS ring

tones, buddy name tones, caller id tunes, etc., according to their specific requirements. With the technological advances

achieved in this sector, a high degree of customization of ring tones has also become possible. Users of mobile phones can

give vent to their creativity and design some witty and humorous ring tones in many of the latest models of handsets. For

instance, users are free to use their own voices or any other sound to create a number of personalized ring tones! Depending

on their intelligence, wit and comic timing, they would be able to create some hilarious ring tones that are guaranteed to

put a smile on the lips of anyone who happens to hear them.

# posted by

Anonymous : 10:22 AM