Cigarette butts and their effect on plant seed germination

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A review on (St.) Valentine's Day: Origin, evolution and confliction

Photo Taken From: History.com

Reviewed By: M. A. Mannan 

Origin and Evolution

01. 

Valentine’s Day, also called St. Valentine’s Day (February 14) when lovers express their affection with greetings and gifts. The holiday has origins in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, held in mid-February. The festival, which celebrated the coming of spring, included fertility rites and the pairing off of women with men by lottery. At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I replaced Lupercalia with St. Valentine’s Day. It came to be celebrated as a day of romance from about the 14th century.

Although there were several Christian martyrs named Valentine, the day may have taken its name from a priest who was martyred about 270 CE by the emperor Claudius II Gothicus. According to legend, the priest signed a letter “from your Valentine” to his jailer’s daughter, whom he had befriended and, by some accounts, healed from blindness. Other accounts hold that it was St. Valentine of Terni, a bishop, for whom the holiday was named, though it is possible the two saints were actually one person. Another common legend states that St. Valentine defied the emperor’s orders and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war. It is for this reason that his feast day is associated with love.

Formal messages, or valentines, appeared in the 1500s, and by the late 1700s commercially printed cards were being used. The first commercial valentines in the United States were printed in the mid-1800s. Valentines commonly depict Cupid, the Roman god of love, along with hearts, traditionally the seat of emotion. Because it was thought that the avian mating season begins in mid-February, birds also became a symbol of the day. Traditional gifts include candy and flowers, particularly red roses, a symbol of beauty and love.

02.

The history of Valentine’s Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?

03.

While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial–which probably occurred around A.D. 270–others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

04.

Valentine’s Day: A Day of Romance

Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity but was outlawed—as it was deemed “un-Christian”–at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance. The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to record St. Valentine’s Day as a day of romantic celebration in his 1375 poem “Parliament of Foules,” writing, ““For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.”

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

05.

Having a particular Valentine's Day is a very old tradition, thought to have originated from a Roman festival.The Romans had a festival called Lupercalia in the middle of February - officially the start of their springtime.

It's thought that as part of the celebrations, boys drew names of girls from a box. They'd be boyfriend and girlfriend during the festival and sometimes they'd get married.

Later on, the church wanted to turn this festival into a Christian celebration and decided to use it to remember St Valentine too. Gradually, St Valentine's name started to be used by people to express their feelings to those they loved.

Confliction:

CELEBRATING LOVE ISN'T THE PROBLEM

It’s a day single people dread (or happily ignore), a day couples revel in (or snub in favour of everyday acts of romance) or for some it’s a day that is quite problematic.

St. Valentine’s Day is a contentious occasion to Muslim’s around the world. This centuries-old holiday is clamped down on in Malaysia, Indonesia, Iran and is outright banned in Pakistan after the country’s High Court ruled that the holiday was un-Islamic.

Meanwhile, in the West, many young Muslims feel torn about whether or not they should take part in a “seemingly harmless” day. What could be so controversial about celebrating your love for your spouse with romantic gestures, dining out or gifts? Surely Islam allows you to do these things, some might ask? While it certainly does, context is crucial here.Photo by César Abner Martínez Aguilar / Unsplash

RELIGIOUS REASONS

There’s a wide range of reasons why the 14th of February is frowned upon from an Islamic perspective. It’s not celebrating love that’s the problem, but the undisciplined values about love that V-Day promotes. Muslims do (and are encouraged to always) celebrate their significant other – but only if they’re married.

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquillity in them, and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.” (30:21)

One could argue that Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate all kinds of love – motherly, brotherly, sisterly or between friends, etc. However, V-Day is most strongly associated with acting on your sexual desires with people you admire, regardless of whether or not you’re married. This is a big no-no in Islam. Zina is obviously a major sin and should be steered clear of and this also includes anything that may lead to it – such as such as kissing, looking inappropriately at, or touching someone of the opposite sex who is a non-mahram.

وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَا ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا

“And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way.” (17:32)

What if a Muslim merely marks the day by giving a rose to his wife, one might ask? This seems ok, right? Well, there is also a ruling on this sort of behaviour:

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 2/50, Abu Dawood, 4021).

Also, under the guise of celebrating love, Valentine’s Day may give you permission to do things you probably wouldn’t otherwise do, as it lowers social inhibitions, all of which are deemed unIslamic. Since V-Day is also associated with public displays of love, dressing seductively and spending excessively. Ultimately, another common reason why Muslims refuse to mark V-Day is that since it isn’t an Islamic tradition that’s reason enough to avoid it.

V-DAY’S DARK HISTORY

Religious issues aside, if you trace back the origins of Valentine’s day, it’s probably off-putting enough to make you want to stop celebrating it.

Though no one knows the exact origin of the holiday, the first clue is in the word “Saint” Valentine’s Day. There were numerous Catholic saints who were called Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. Although the true story behind these mysterious saints is murky, two legends depict him in a romantic, caring and heroic light.

There are two theories about why Valentine’s day is celebrated in the middle of February. Some believe this period marks the martyrdom anniversary of Saint Valentine or his burial–which apparently happened around 270 AD. Meanwhile, others claim that in the 5th century, the Christian church conspired to put St. Valentine’s day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia, a pagan festival popular at the time, in order to appease and essentially convert the pagans.The rationale behind the merging of two different festivities is that the pagans could still practice their secular traditions but under the guise of Christianity (with some adjustments).

What is Lupercalia, you ask? This is where things get dark…

In pre-Christian times, from February 13 to 15, the Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia, which involved blood sacrifice, nudity, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity and even slapping women with animal hides!

In a nutshell, the Romans would sacrifice a goat and a dog, then women would line up waiting to be whipped with the hides of the animals that were just killed (as this was believed to make the women fertile), then put all the women’s names in a jar. The men would then randomly draw a woman’s name, much like a matchmaking lottery, and become sexual partners with them.

How did Valentine’s Day go from whipping women to hearts and candy then?

It wasn’t until the 14th century that Valentine’s Day developed a romantic connotation. The famous English Poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, wrote about Valentine’s Day in a loving sense in his poem Parlement of Foules. Subsequently, William Shakespeare also romanticised the holiday in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and in Hamlet:

“To-morrow is Saint Valentine’s day,

All in the morning betime,

And I a maid at your window,

To be your Valentine.”

Hamlet (Act 4 Scene 5)

Eventually, V-Day gained popularity throughout Britain and the rest of Europe. The familiar act of giving out handmade paper cards also became a craze. After the dawn of the industrial revolution, factory-made Valentine’s Day cards were mass produced in the 19th century and February hasn’t been the same since.

MATERIALISTIC ISSUES

Valentine’s Day is a hugely profitable industry. Many will break the bank buying flowers, jewellery and dining out for their loved one. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), despite significantly fewer Americans celebrating V-Day each year, spending for the holiday has continued to rise and is projected to reach more than $20 billion this year. While this opposing trend seems illogical, those who do celebrate V-Day are spending more because much of the increase is being driven by gifts for other loved ones – even pets!

While some may see this as a positive boost for the economy, some may see this is excessive spending for just one day. Not to mention the amount of waste that is generated on V-Day, in the form of cards, plastics and wrapping paper.

In Islam, Muslims are cautioned against extravagance (Israaf):

وَآتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَىٰ حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَلَا تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا

“And give the relative his right, and [also] the poor and the traveler, and do not spend wastefully.” (17:26)

إِنَّ الْمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوا إِخْوَانَ الشَّيَاطِينِ ۖ وَكَانَ الشَّيْطَانُ لِرَبِّهِ كَفُورًا

“Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful.” (17:27).

While the topic of “extravagance” can be a subjective experience, the Quran also urges Muslims to practice moderation in giving:

وَلَا تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَىٰ عُنُقِكَ وَلَا تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ فَتَقْعُدَ مَلُومًا مَّحْسُورًا

“And do not make your hand as chained to your neck or extend it completely and thereby become blamed and insolvent.” (17:29)

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ قَوَامًا

“And [they are] those who, when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, justly moderate” (25:67)

In essence, this annual lover’s day is associated with a set of problematic expressions which go in direct conflict with Islamic teachings. Therefore, it would be unsettling and paradoxical for the soul to cherry pick the “halal” aspects of Valentine’s Day while disregarding the bulk of what it represents. However, despite many of the religious, historical or materialistic arguments put forward against Valentine’s Day, as outlined in this blog, some Muslims may still choose to mark the occasion. Some argue that their intention is pure and not aligned with V-Day’s values. Some even say that celebrating the day is a way to build bridges with western countries. Whatever your opinion, the lesson that can be learned from V-Day for Muslims is that everyone has free will, one mustn’t judge and we should be compassionate to everyone. Now we heart that.

Acknowledgment: BBC, History, Britannica, Muzmatch

"বসন্ত উৎসবঃ উৎপত্তি, বিকাশ ও সংঘর্ষঃ একটি পর্যালোচনা

P.C.:  Alamy

Now your SAU BLOG OF AGRICULTURE is INDEXED in google search engine!: Let the world explore your thoughts on agriculture and environment

P.C.: Site Checker Pro

Greetings to all!

After a fairly long journey of almost 40 days the blog "SAU BLOG OF AGRICULTURE" is now indexed by google search engine. Now you may find the blog easily without necessarily searching the blog by url; just open your browser and type "SAU BLOG OF AGRICULTURE". You will see the site within first or second page of the search. 

The admin of the site wants to thank all of the visitor from home and abroad who frequently visited the blog and contributed in indexing the site. 

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Weekly Reading Practice 03

P.c.: Miller Elementary

#Time: 08 minutes

#Note down the unknown words

#Try to make summery of one and half line

#Give your feedback

Paragraph-01

C. S. Lewis was many things: scholar, poet, novelist, apologist, friend to J.R.R. Tolkien, and husband to Joy. But in a 1957 essay, he stepped into another role: that of, as one blogger puts it, a “get-off-my-lawn, wide-jawed, beslippered, well aged, first class curmudgeon.”

Paragraph-02

I’m almost tempted to say “Ok boomer,” even though Lewis was a member of the Lost Generation. (Also such a statement is a clear case of “chronological snobbery,” which Lewis defined as a term and denounced as a mindset.)

Paragraph-03

That essay, “Delinquents in the Snow” from the collection God in the Dock, begins with Lewis griping about neighborhood kids who constantly bother him by singing terrible renditions of Christmas carols at his door and expecting money in return. Then, with increasing crankiness, he tells the reader that these are probably the same kids who broke into his shed and stole some stuff recently. Other than Lewis’s intuition, there’s no connection between the carolers and the discourse on criminal justice that follows. Like I said, it’s a weird essay.

Paragraph-04

Basically, Lewis is angry that the kids who robbed his shed were let off easy by the court and will therefore likely grow up to commit “burglary, arson, rape, and murder.” Without any additional evidence, he extrapolates this single event into a nationwide trend and predicts that unless something is done about it, the result will be either an outbreak of vigilante violence or a full-scale revolution.

Acknowledgment: The American Conservative

Probability addition and multiplication basic: Very well explained

Probability: Wikihow

Video: An amazing initiative in Bangladesh: বন কাগজ (Plantable seed paper) (Highly suggested to watch)

This video was published by "Prothom Alo", a Bangladeshi daily newspaper. In the feature they mentioned it as an new invention; though it is not an new invention. It is just an new initiative/introduction in Bangladesh. 

I used here the group of words "Amazing initiative in Bangladesh" Because this idea of growing plants from paper seed is not the new one. This tech was invented by someone else few years before. As a proof you may watch the video here

Courtesy: Prothom Alo

Photo: Paper seed (Indiamart)

Top 5 books on agriculture of all time

1.

Since its publication in 1977, The Unsettling of America has been recognized as a classic of American letters. In it, Wendell Berry argues that good farming is a cultural and spiritual discipline. Today’s agribusiness, however, takes farming out of its cultural context and away from families. As a result, we as a nation are more estranged from the land―from the intimate knowledge, love, and care of it.

2.

In this eye-opening exposé, acclaimed health journalist and National Geographic contributor Maryn McKenna documents how antibiotics transformed chicken from local delicacy to industrial commodity—and human health threat—uncovering the ways we can make America's favorite meat safer again.

3. 

A totally modern, all-purpose handbook for today’s agricultural dreamers—covering the challenges and triumphs of launching any successful farm—from two leading lights in sustainable farming.

Do you dream of starting your own farm but wonder where to begin? Or do you already have a farm but wish to become more sustainable to compete in today's market? Start Your Farm, the first comprehensive business guide of its kind, covers these essential questions and more: Why be a farmer in the 21st century? Do you have what it takes?

What does sustainable really mean, and how can a small (as little as one acre) to midsize farm survive alongside commodity-scale agriculture?

4.

Urban agriculture offers promising solutions to many different urban problems, such as blighted vacant lots, food insecurity, storm water runoff, and unemployment. These objectives connect to many cities’ broader goal of “sustainability,” but tensions among stakeholders have started to emerge in cities as urban agriculture is incorporated into the policymaking framework

5.

A MacArthur Fellow’s impassioned call to make agriculture sustainable by ditching the plow, covering the soil, and diversifying crop rotations.

The problem of agriculture is as old as civilization. Throughout history, great societies that abused their land withered into poverty or disappeared entirely. Now we risk repeating this ancient story on a global scale due to ongoing soil degradation, a changing climate, and a rising population.

Acknowledgment: agtech.career, Book authority, Amazon.com