Loopycalia

The day that was to emerge as a pseudo-Christian festival, St Valentine's Day, was originally called Lupercalia by Ancient Romans and heralded the day upon which people would meet in the town centre and, among other activities, select their partner for the coming year, romantic love aside.

It's suggested that notions of romance only crept in to the process when Romans sought to Christianize their predominantly pagan society.

So, did the onset of Chrisitianity spell the demise of free love and ultimately spring forth the inception of very costly love?

This erosion or creep is also visible in Wiccan norms where there seems to have been an attrition of hand-fasting as an annual renewal(or not, as the case might be).

Perhaps this changed over time to bridge the gaps between the current law and mainstream cultural practice that still conforms to secular ideas of monogamy and/or having only one (heterosexual) partner for life, despite contemporary society being decidedly post-Christian and people living a hell of a lot longer these days than they did when the idea originated.

With divorce rates indicating that most marriages fail within the first few years, many would argue that the year and a day loophole should be available for marriage. But, adherence to the widely outdated, but quaint, cultural practice of marriage generates considerable yearly revenue not just for those in the 'bridal industry/ies,' but also for lawyers...et al

However, while divorce rates were still rising in 2007, figures for 2008 indicate an easing of that freefall in domestic bliss, although this may just be a reflection of the drop in the number of people getting married.

Last year's ABS stats(2007)also show marriage seems to be becoming a last minute thing - that not only are people leaving it till later on in life to marry, they are also divorcing later in life as well.

Additionally, the latest social trends stats released, 2008, show women in that age range are having babies almost 20% less often than a decade ago. This appears a bit at odds with the improvements in health care and government spin about former federal treasurer Peter Costello's Baby bonus generation, prompted by his financial incentives to mass produce children to counter the Baby Boomers-attributed ageing population.

While the ABS research cautions that vigilance is required by government to ensure their policies improve the earnings of women because they've remained largely unchanged and inequitable, over the last 25 years women have generally been free to become more financially independent than they were, through accessible education and training.

In Christian marriage ceremonies vows of obedience(groan) have thankfully pretty much become a thing of the past, with more equality possible for women via society progressing culturally - maybe multiculturally, beyond the mind-set of woman's worth being on par with the village mule or ox, although the practice of 'giving the bride away,' is somewhat more insidious.

Even in less patriarchal belief systems the theme of a binding, or bond(age), seems to be fairly consistent along with an(reckless)abandonment of a single lifestyle and whatever that might embody.

So readers, whether consuming or undertaking other activities mindlessly, today -
when you mark your moniker on that dotted line -
as you're handing your hard-earned moola over the counter,
delivering the goods, bringing home the bacon,
or simply saying the words your loved one/s have long-hoped to hear, hostage to consumerism,
take a breath & pause for a moment to consider those who have gone before you,
and just how much you might be signing up for, what, and for how long.

Forgive the devil's advocate, this tune is very snaky...