It began as a holy and sad day to celebrate the death of an obscure priest named Valentine who was martyred on February 14th many centuries ago and later canonized as a saint. It is now a commercial but happy day to celebrate romance and love.
The modern Valentine’s Day celebration comes with a profusion of “hearts” being delivered on cards; in notes; as candies, cakes and helium balloons, and displayed in supermarkets and many other public places.
Yet, the “heart” is a man-made symmetrical symbol that has become a computer emoji and looks nothing like a human blood pump. But, as they say, it’s the thought that counts and thoughts of love are good any way that you can get them.
The image that you see above is a neighbor’s roadside banner that lightens our ride down to the harbor. In the image below, you’ll see what may be a romantic on the way to his girlfriend’s cave.
(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on February 11 [banner] and 13 [candy man], 2023.)