For starters, Saint Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday are on the same day this year. So a day that is commonly associated with chocolate, lavish dinners, and lustful acts is on the same day that Catholics are supposed to be fasting and preparing for Lent. An odd pairing which has left many self-proclaimed Christians with a problem.
The Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, addressed the issue and said that Ash Wednesday takes precedence and that Catholics should find other ways to show their love of God by committing selfless acts of charity, instead of fasting. "Giving love to those who don't have it." Others like the news have delivered the message that since it's only this year, that you can go back to your normal Valentine's traditions next year. In all actuality, the last time this pairing occurred was 1945. So I guess god-fearing people can adapt.
On the flip side, horror fans have made a joke of the whole situation by posting gifs of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Ripping out their lover's hearts, and using images of Ash from the Evil Dead to celebrate "Ash" Wednesday. The whole situation is amusing, to say the least.
The other celebration that coincides with another holiday this year is Easter Sunday, the holiest day in the Catholic calendar, and April Fool's Day. Talk about a strange pairing and an opportunity for tricksters and naysayers to mock an important religious holiday. Get ready for people who would not normally wish you a "Happy Easter" doing just that, only to renege with an "April Fools" a moment later.
Hardcore atheists will use the coincidence to mock the resurrection of Jesus Christ, proclaiming that "even the calendar knows it's a farce." To add to the fun, parents and guardians can make other claims such as hiding Easter eggs for a back yard hunt. After their children search frantically for thirty minutes, they can then break it to them that it was all nothing but an April Fool's Day joke. the same can be said of Christ's resurrection and the Easter Bunny.
I can see some of these pranks getting a little out of hand. Regardless, it is a pairing that hasn't happened since 1956 and won't happen again until 2029. The following is a list of past and upcoming pairings: 1714, 1725, 1736, 1804, 1866, 1877, 1888, 1923, 1934, 1945, 1956, and will coincide again in 2018, 2029, 2040, 2108, 2170, 2181, 2192, 2238, 2249, 2260, 2306, 2317, 2328.
Just my thoughts. What are yours?
Cheers!
Drakov
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