Today is a day for romance and love, a day when lovers and friends around the world exchange letters and gifts to honor the patron Saint Valentine. Patron saints are saints who in the Catholic, Anglican and Eastern Orthodox faith are regarded as heavenly advocates of a nation, place, craft, clan, family, or person. Is is said that this day officially received its name in the 1300s. it coincided with the common belief at the time in France and England that birds started their mating season on February 14. While Valentines day is now known for its sweet cards and romantic dinner ideas for two, the history of Valentine’s Day is actually pretty dark.
NPR journalist Arnie Seipel writes: “… Though no one has pinpointed the exact origin of the holiday, one good place to start is ancient Rome, where men hit on women by, well, hitting them. From Feb. 13 to 15, the Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia. The men sacrificed a goat and a dog, then whipped women with the hides of the animals they had just slain…”
Be that as it may, today we prefer to focus on the good things of life; on love and finding gifts to celebrate that special person in our life. My gift for Valentine’s day is a bacon tree ballad that sings of bacon seeds that sprout in egg lined gardens. In lands far away from here, bacon grows on giant bacon trees. Uncured and crispy, juicy and delicious. If only I knew where that land might be.
Lyrics
In a land far away from us
Someone told me, bacon grows on giant trees
Uncured and crispy, juicy and delicious
If only I knew where that land might be
I would gift you bacon seeds
So you could grow your tree
And line our garden with eggs
In spring our bacon seeds would sprout and bloom
Appease your yearning needs
In a land far away from us
Someone told me, bacon grows on giant trees
Uncured and crispy, juicy and delicious
If only I knew where that land might be
