The (dark) History of Valentine’s Day
This article comes from npr.org and has been modified for phrasal verbs.Â
Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate romance and love and going out. But the origins of this festival of candy and cupids are actually dark, bloody — and a bit muddled up. Though no one has pinpointed the exact origin of the holiday, one place to start is ancient Rome.
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 skins of the animals they had just killed. The Roman romantics «were drunk. They were naked,» Noel Lenski, now a religious studies professor at Yale University, told NPR in 2011. Young women would actually line up for the men to hit them, Lenski said. They believed this would make them fertile.
Today, the holiday is big business. But that commercialization has spoiled the day for many. Helen Fisher, a sociologist at Rutgers University, said we have only ourselves to blame. And so the celebration of Valentine’s Day goes on, in varied ways. Many will break the bank buying jewelry and flowers for their loved ones. Some will celebrate in a SAD (that’s Single Awareness Day) way, dining alone and binging on self-gifted chocolates — while others get by alone in a society that wants everyone to partner up.
Phrasal Verbs
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To muddle upÂ
To go out
To line up
To get by
To partner up
Remember the First Conditional?
Extra PracticeÂ
What will you do if I call you on Friday?
What will we do if you don’t sign the document?Â
Where will we meet if I accept the invitation?
Where will we go if you don’t accept the job? Â
Who will you invite to come if we make a plan?Â
Who will you invite if I don’t go with you?Â
Which ballet will we watch if you come with me?
Which ballet will we watch if they don’t have tickets? Â
Why will you accept the invitation if I ask you?Â
Why will you accept the invitation if you don’t like theater?Â
Begin with some basic sentences using the silent letter lists below.Â
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Silent Letter List #1
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A buffet
A ballet
A mortgage
To resign
To sign
To assign
Whole
Wrong
Wrecked
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Silent Letter List #2
A doubt
A debt
A castle
To guide
To guard
To guess
Several
Dangerous
DifferentÂ
 Â
And there are many more silent letters to explore.Â
Also, see our article on Silent Letters in LawÂ
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