Filter Coffee #236

On Valentine’s Day: A Day to Celebrate Love

Bengaluru

FC 235 on Freemasonry was well received and most of my readers felt that it demystified the myth that Freemasonry is a cult. The response has been overwhelming and I am afraid the comments will take up quite a bit of space. Hope you bear with me.

• Vinod Karnik: “Somewhere in mid-'70s a well-wisher in his late ‘50s introduced me to a Lodge in Mumbai. I was just in the early ‘30s then. My well-wisher told me that it was a Secret organisation and they don’t talk much about it. After a few months, I stopped going to the Lodge meetings and ultimately quit. Maybe my induction was not the way it should have been. Through your post, after so many years, it was interesting to learn about Freemasonry which seems more transparent today.”

  Vinod, It is never too late to join a lodge :)

• Shahji Jacob supplements the post: “Can I add a few more aspects of Freemasonry? 1. The brethren use the tools to bring the facts to the attention of the newly initiated mason. 2. We believe in making good men better. Therefore we believe that good men can be made better. In other words, men always have something that can be made better. NO MAN IS PERFECT. 3. Most of our collections for charity come from within the brethren. 4. Throughout history we have had men of great eminence as freemasons, like George Washington, Mark Twain, Walt Disney, Winston Churchill etc. 5. We also strongly believe that breaking bread together strengthens the relationships among masons.”

• Amba Prasad: “Freemasons and Freemasonry are so private that even members don't discuss openly and not much information was in the public domain. This Filter Coffee cup has been informative, interesting and intriguing. Keep brewing.”

  You make a good Mason, Amba.

• Ashvini Ranjan: “Pras, this is the first time someone has shared so much information about Freemasonry. I read it with great interest. My father too was a member and seldom spoke about it. He avoided my childlike curiosity and I grew up believing that it was akin to the Klu Klux Klan given its secretiveness. And for what reason? I was surprised to learn that the Freemasons society is one of the oldest societies dating back to 1717. Surely there is something of value that has helped this movement to sustain so long.”

  You make a good Mason, Ashvin.

• Pramod Nigam: “Thanks Pras for the informative post about Freemasonry. Though I had read about this earlier, it looked as if it was some sort of secretive society. But after reading this, it is clear that Freemasons practice good values and are doing useful work for society. Thanks once again for enlightening us.”

• S G Murali: “Thanks, Pras. You opened the doors and windows of the Lodge. Somehow we never learnt what Freemasons do while all of us are aware of Rotary and Lions.”

  The door is open for you too Murali, to join my Lodge.

• Tarun Kunzru: “Thanks for throwing some light on something which was a black box to me. A few freemasons I have known have only added to this mysterious aura.”

• KBR Murthy: “My father-in-law was a Freemason. He died in 1983. He was very secretive and I used to wonder what is it all about. Thanks for the useful information.”

• Nisha Sinha, a teacher & my neighbour: “I'm so relieved to read this. Though intellectually I knew you could not be a part of something strange, ritualistic and ungodly, it's good to have it described in detail.”

• Lakshmi Raman: “Wow! That is the most info I have ever got on Freemasons in all my life. It must have evolved from the stonemason guilds of old. My father had a friend who was a Freemason (this was in Bombay). He said it was a closely held membership with ceremonial events, only men, and non-members could not take part in anything. It seems to have moved on quite a bit since then. And Prasanna, you look grand in the Freemason regalia!”

• Mani Srinivasan: “Nice read. I was always curious about Freemasons but never got to learn about them. Thanks for the information.”
  You should become a Freemason.

• Niharika: “FC 235 was an eye opener. Quite enlightening. All these years I thought it was a secret society. Thanks, Prasanna for the interesting information. In the regalia, you look smart, like you just walked out of a history book 🙂”

❤️ Valentine’s Day: A Day to Celebrate Love

Having yielded much of the space for the excellent feedback and comments on Freemasonry, I am constrained to keep this post short. I will go back in time and do a recap of what I wrote about Valentine’s Day as this post is coming to you close on the heels of that day when love is celebrated. Love of all kinds and not just between a boy and a girl.

According to history.com, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all with a different backstory.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl—possibly his jailor’s daughter—who visited him during his confinement.

Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and — most importantly — romantic figure. Some people believe we celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14th to coincide with the anniversary of Saint Valentine's death or burial.

Valentine's Day celebrations did not catch on in India until around 1992. The holiday became popular thanks to programs on commercial TV channels, dedicated radio programs, and love letter competitions, in addition to an economic liberalisation that allowed the explosion of the Valentine card industry. The celebration has caused a sharp change in how people have been displaying their affection in public since the Middle Ages.

Conservatives of all kinds consider Valentine’s Day a cultural contamination. They are of the view that peer pressure forces normal emotions into excessive demonstrations bordering on fakeness. They choose not to join this bandwagon. Nevertheless, it is conservatively estimated that the Valentine cards and gifts industry garners around 30 to 40 billion dollars the world over. Marketers, of course, Are happy to take advantage of both sides of the argument. For example, this year Cadbury 5-star’s ‘Destroy Valentine’s Day’ ad went viral with its tongue-in-cheek campaign featuring a crack team of ‘uncles’ deployed to bring down the popularity of Valentine’s Day among the youngsters—all to the benefit of the singles, of course! You can see it 🔗here if you haven't already. It's all in good fun!

Regardless of comments good and not so good about this celebration, the fact remains that Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating love. All a woman wants for Valentine’s Day is a card. Visa or Mastercard, it really does not matter.

Valentine's week is the period from the 7th Of February till the 14th. Not sure if the week is indeed celebrated keeping the theme for each day in mind but let me share the gist of it.

• Rose Day on February 7 is the first day of Valentine’s Week and it sets the tone for the days to come. The simple act of exchanging roses on February 7 becomes a powerful medium to communicate one's feelings.

• Propose Day on February 8 is all about speaking your heart’s truth. It is the day to take a leap of faith and reveal hidden emotions.

• Chocolate Day on February 9 symbolises the delightful side of love. The act of gifting or sharing chocolates is a delicious way to say “I care” or “I’m thinking of you.”

• Teddy Day on February 10 introduces a playful and heartwarming element to Valentine’s Week. The teddy bear, with its soft fur and inviting charm, is much more than just a stuffed toy.

• Promise Day on February 11 is a day dedicated to the power of commitment and trust in relationships. The day when couples make promises they wish to uphold, reinforcing the bonds that connect them.

• Hug Day on February 12 is about 'actions speaking louder than words'. A hug is a powerful gesture—a physical manifestation of love, comfort, and reassurance.

• Kiss Day on February 13 is celebrated a day before Valentine’s Day, It is a celebration that centres on one of the most intimate expressions of affection.

• Valentine's Day on February 14, Finally, the culmination of the week’s celebrations.

I hope love in its numerous manifestations keeps us all together and nurtures the hope that its profound influence dispels the darkness of hate in every form. Amen!

I urge readers to please look up this article that was featured in the New York Times: 🔗The 36 Questions That Lead to Love.

I hope you had a great V-Day. Here’s a PJ of my kind:

Did you hear about the bed bugs who fell in love?
They're getting married in the spring!

Until next week, take care. Love and be loved! Ciao!