Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday falling on the same day

MANILA, Philippines — Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday are celebrated on the same day, globally, today, February 14. This means that the day of love and all its myths and facts and the day that many Catholics marks as a time for reflection and penance fall on the same day. This coincidence, however, is not common. Six years have passed since these two significant observances last shared the same date. The year 2018 was notable, marking the first occasion in 73 years that Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day aligned. However, when Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday converge, an intriguing irony emerges between the materialistic fervor of love and the austere reflection of Lent. On the one hand, February 14 is…