I hope your weekend has started off well and you are taking some time to focus on things other than the pandemic, financial markets, and impeachment trial. I know I will be spending some quality time with my wife!
I started to think about Valentine’s Day a few weeks ago and it occurred to me that I do not really know the origins of this “holiday”. I always assumed this was a “Hallmark” holiday, but I did some research and was proven wrong. Valentine’s Day, also called St. Valentine’s Day, (February 14th) is 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 a lottery to pair women with men. 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 around the 14th century. More in- depth information can be found in the links below. I am certain my wife would not have been comfortable with the “pairing off” method used in those days. My takeaway is to spend time with those you love and express to them how much you care. The world needs a few more days like this!
We are getting more and more questions surrounding Bitcoin and the various crypto currencies. We are starting to work on a more detailed article that we will share with you shortly. Keep in mind we cannot invest directly on your behalf in any of these digital currencies, nor are we advocating for them. Wall Street, in general, is embracing this trend more and more and we will start to see alternative ways to invest in this growing area such as individual stocks or through exchange traded funds (ETFs). This is a rapidly changing environment and as always, our goal is to provide education along the way. Corporate earnings continue to be strong, and while the trend is favorable, it seems a lot of this has already been priced in the markets in the near-term. We will continue to keep watch and provide commentary along the way. As always, feel free to reach out with questions.
Have a safe and healthy weekend!
Your local Towson Financial Advisors
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Valentines-Day
https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/12/bitcoin-banks-closer-accepting-cryptocurrency-asset-class.html