February 2023

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Valentine's Day


Happy Valentine's Day. But some would say, "It's just a commercial gimmick." Still others, though, will take umbrage and counter with, "No! What we call Valentine's Day predates the time of Christ."

The various points of view vary,  but strong evidence supports the argument that it began as a pagan fertility rite. Historical records reveal a Roman celebration of Lupercalia, a pagan celebration of the coming of spring. Among the joys of the changing weather, it also offered fertility rites, dancing, and drinking.

This is a print of the ancient Lupercalia holiday.


 The early day of Lupercalia sounds similar to our contemporary Valentine's Day. With the growth of Christianity in the 5th century, Lupercalia's replacement was St. Valentine's Day. Thus, the argument goes, paganism went by the wayside, and a famous martyr, St. Valentine, was honored on the day of his execution, February 14th.  

Good-bye, Lupercalia.

But who was this man, Valentine? He was a doctor and later a clergyman at the time of Claudius II. Condemned to death for his religion, Valentine awaited his execution. While imprisoned, he befriended his jailer and the jailer's family. The night before his death, he wrote a note to the jailer's daughter and signed it, "…Your Valentine." This signature, the legend holds, is the onset of our Valentine's Day celebration. The day Valentine was beheaded.


What about Cupid, you ask? This cute little rascal is known in classical Greek mythology. He is Eros, the son of the love goddess Venus, and his father, Mars, the god of war. Translated from Greek mythology, Cupid means "passionate desire."


 Whether you prefer the current Valentine or an ancient Greek legend, we can all celebrate the passing of winter, the beginning of spring, and forever a time of love.

For those of us on the Llano Estacado of Texas, spring 2023 means a re-birth of one of my earliest publications, "The Third Dawn." As my writing skills matured, the review of this book was not a day for a happy dance. The storyline was there, but the depth of the characters was amiss. With that thought, I undertook what turned out to be a difficult challenge. It is harder to re-write a manuscript than to write it from a blank screen. Nevertheless, with guidance from supporters, "The Third Dawn – Redux" is nearing completion. With a target of summer 2023, this bright and shiny publication will hit the press in print, eBook, and audio.

I don't know if Cupid will cross his fingers for me, but here's hoping.

In the meantime, you can have a free eBook by going to my website, www.thomasjnichols.com,  and subscribing at no charge for my monthly newsletter…and there never is any spam or sell

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