WHAT DO Christmas and Valentine's Day has in common?
Is it the color? Red. No, because Christmas has green, gold and even
silver and sometimes white, while Valentine has red. Tunes? No way.
Christmas has revelry and jingles while Valentine has sentiments and
symphony.
Christmas and Valentine appear on opposite times: Valentine falls
on the first quarter of the year while Christmas on the last. Christmas
is for Christ Child while Valentine is for lovers.
Let's see, the kids! Christ in the manger, Cupids on bow and arrow.
Likewise, both occasions signify gift-giving and gift receiving. Christmas
is time for merry-making but this is also true for Valentine. Isn't
it true that during Valentine's day most lovers receive their magical
"yes?"
So what is it really about Christmas and Valentine's day? I remember
a story of a man who belonged to a wealthy family, who in one chapter
of his life had that drive to gather gifts for children, especially
for the less fortunate ones. Speaking of love, there is another story,
shrouded in mystery about a priest. This priest, who lived in the
third century , ignored Emperor Claudius II's decree regarding the
prohibition of the marriage of lovers so so that the empire would
have a crop of unwed military men. This man was put into jail because
he continued to officiate lovers' weddings despite the emperor's decree.
Ironically, this man fell in love with a young girl who may have been
the daughter of the one who sent his to jail. It is said that this
is also the same person who must have sent the first Valentine card.
This brings us to another thing common with the two celebrations—the
cards! Mr. Hallmark must have been blessed by these two occasions.
He must have had lots of profit.
Meanwhile, we, Filipinos, are fond of bazaars and factory sales.
That's why we also have Christmas sale and Valentines sale in the
malls. Many of us who would not mind purchasing goods with 50% discount
regardless of the quality of the product. For some,it could be a good
deal.
We will never see the real use of looking for the common things
between Christmas and Valentine's day if we don't employ our child-like
instincts. How many of us really asked what the two have in common?
True enough, we are preoccupied with many things. We have enough
questions to answer. We have enough research to accomplish. Yet,we
are still called upon to ponder on practical questions such as these.
It's January, we are in the middle of two months—one
that has recently concluded and one that is fast approaching. We are
at the middle, halfway, at the center of which for me is the common
ground of Christmas and Valentine's Day. Center. Middlemost. The heart.
What do Christmas and Valentine's Day have in common? It's the heart
in them.
---------------
