...how do you feel about them? I ask because we have two coming up (at least in the US -- I don't know how widely celebrated these are elsewhere): Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day. I know Valentine's Day is the feast of St. Valentine (of whom there is little historical info/evidence), and Valentine's Day was instituted on top of an Ancient Roman fertility holiday (Lupercalia). St. Patrick's Day, likewise, is the feast day of its namesake saint. While it doesn't have the same pagan roots as Valentine's Day, it does celebrate the guy who (allegedly) invented a way to explain trinitarianism. However, like Valentine's Day, it has taken on secular connotations to an Irish culture celebration. (I'm a quarter Irish.)
I haven't really thought about it before -- if I have a Jewish boyfriend, does he do anything for me for Valentine's Day? (Forgive my cluelessness, but does anyone know the norm for this in Jewish communities today?) Apparently there is a Jewish holiday similar to it (Tu B'Av), but I've never heard what people do to celebrate it. I suppose St. Patrick's Day might be less of an issue since it doesn't involve gift giving, but is it acceptable to attend a St. Patrick's Day parade or wear green? However, at the same time, there is definite discomfort since I grew up in Catholic school and got the whole "shamrock-three-in-one" lecture throughout my childhood.
What are your thoughts?