Valentine's Day

So today marks the Brazilian equivalent of Valentine's Day. Apparently, during the month of June, Brazil celebrates three holidays that commemorate 3 Catholic Saints: St. Anthony (June 13), St. John the Baptist (June 24), and St. Peter (June 29). During this time, Brazilians hold parties on the eve of each of these days called festas juninas - june parties. As Professor Sabbatini explained to me while driving me home today, the 12th is then Valentine's day because St. Anthony is known as the patron saint of the unwed. So, on Valentine's day, some couples make pledges to St. Anthony sacrificing something from there lives if St. Anthony wiill bless them with a successful engagement.

Seeing that only about 60% of the country remains Catholic, however, so most couples celebrate by simply having a meal together and exchanging gifts, just like we do back home. In fact, I went to the mall earlier this week to help Rodrigo buy his girlfriend a gift. He decided to buy her a stuffed tiger from a place very much like Build-a-Bear back home. So he picked out the tiger, got it stuffed, and selected an outfit - a duck bathrobe, complete with duck-billed hood and cute duck slippers. He had also wanted to add a sound chip that he could record a message on, but the store had none left. Regardless, it was a super-cute gift and I'm sure his girlfriend loved it.

Before I learned that Valentine's Day, or Dia dos Namorados, had anything to do with a religious observance, I thought that it was funny that Valentine's Day somehow finds a way to fall during the w inter. Back home, it's obviously in February, typically one of the colder months of the year. And now in Brazil, it's situated in June, right at the beginning of the winter. Guess it gives couples a good reason to snuggle up.

Anywho, Week 3 of the hundred pushups was successfully completed while writing this blog post, so on Monday it's on to Week 4! Much love to you all on this day!