The guys on the Unashamed Podcast (Phil, Al and Jase Robertson) were discussing the Valentine’s Day traditions we keep and their relationship to the actual Saint Valentine. Just like Easter, Halloween and Christmas, the activities and traditions the culture is familiar with has little to do with the religious significance those holidays have for believers. Ash Wednesday and Lent are not as well known in the popular culture, even though most people have heard of Mardis Gras. There again, getting drunk and collecting plastic beads has nothing to do with thinking about the cross and preparing for Palm Sunday and Good Friday.

So what’s with the picture? That’s Teresa with the heart-shaped cake I made. And there are ashes on her forehead. Back in 2018 Ash Wednesday fell on February 14th. Valentine’s Day scrolls through the days of the week but is always on February 14th. Lent begins 46 days before Easter (40 days minus six Sundays) and Easter has about a five week range from the end of March through April. What are the chances Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day would ever fall on the same day? Those two events will not fall on the same day again until… next year. February 14, 2024, will be Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday. In 2018 Easter was on April 1st. Next year it will be on March 31st. How is that possible? Leap Year. Because February will have 29 days, there will still be exactly 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Fascinating.