Today is Valen’s Day.
I wager you’ve never heard of that particular holiday. That’s because Pace made it up. Several years ago, she posted a silly picture:
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(that’s Valen from Babylon 5); can you guess what it means?
Yeah, it still hurts me, too. “Happy Valen-tines day”, indeed.
But, at first, I got “Valen’s Day” out of it, and the name stuck. We started celebrating Valen’s Day on 2/12, because 212 is Pace’s lucky number.
Ta-da! A goofy, self-proclaimed holiday was born, one we celebrate with glee every year.
Holidays in general are largely made up. Most Christian holidays were, shall we say, procured from the local pagans, in order to more easily convert them. And the “real meaning” of most holidays has been converted into mass commercialism, the spiritual or earthy meanings long forgotten.
Taking something important to you, be it funny or inspirational or devotional or whathaveyou, and turning it into something to celebrate, making it a holiday, is very freaky. It’s fun. It can be sacred. It can mark something monumental (like a wedding anniversary or a divorce anniversary) or something meaningful only to you. It’s also revolutionary, because society says “celebrate these certain holidays and no more or less, you filthy heathens!”
Society be damned.
Happy Valen’s Day!
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I love this. My favorite made up holiday, which we celebrate religiously (pun intended!) in our household is International Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. Celebrated on the first Saturday in February. You can read more about it here: http://www.itzahckret.com/icecreamforbreakfast.html
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I love the idea of actively creating meaning in your life by inventing your own holiday! (Also, Babylon 5 will always remain one of my fav TV series, though I rarely run into people who have heard of it.)
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..How to Write an Introduction that Grabs your Right People =-.
Hmm – I didn’t get it – but Happy Valen’s Day! Loved this. There’s never enough opportunities to dance, celebrate, and laugh.
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Aaaahhh! Babylon 5 reference….I love it! Happy Valens Day to you too! I’ve always seen Valentine’s Day as an overhyped commercial holiday, but I can get on board with this.
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