MINNEAPOLIS - Love is in the air, but for some Christians, there might be a dilemma.
For the first time since 1945, Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday are falling on the same date.
Johan Van Parys, the director of liturgy and sacred arts at the Basilica of Saint Mary, says love and Valentine’s Day have nothing to do with one another.
“So in the Middle Ages, it was thought that birds found their mate in the middle of February, so the 14th of February, and through poetry it was translated to humans," he said. "So it became a day to celebrate human love.”
Ash Wednesday kicks off the season of Lent. It’s the day Christians commit to more prayer, penance and charity.
“So that does not necessarily match very well on what one might expect to do on Valentine’s Day," he said.