If by some chance you choose not celebrate St. Valentine’s Day, or you have simply reached the limit of how many hearts and flowers you can tolerate, feel free to celebrate today as the Battle of Cape St. Vincent‘s Day. Two hundred and fourteen years ago on this day, a British fleet under Admiral Sir John Jervis defeated a larger Spanish fleet under Admiral Don José de Córdoba near Cape St. Vincent, Portugal. Nothing like black powder smoke and slaughter to clear the Valentine’s Day cobwebs.
Thanks Rick but I’ll have to file this one in the interesting but not helpful category. What I need is a name for the 16th of Feb when I express my love by giving candy I have purchased at half price.
btw – been enjoying your posts.
I do like the idea that you should be able to define your own holiday when all the candy is half price. Maybe you could claim to have researched it and found that it all has to do with a mistake in correcting for the difference between the Gregorian and Julian calendars, so Valentines Day really is the 16th. Of course, as Bowsprite has pointed out, St. Valentine was tortured and beheaded, so we shouldn’t stick too close to tradition and history, under any case.
Glad you enjoy the blog. I enjoy reading Kennebec Captain as well. Great stuff.
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Holidays are fine but what I found more interesting was the Royal Navy White Squadron and Red Squadron were sailing together. This combined Squadrons action would have been under the overall Command of the Admiral of the White. His Flag can be seen hoisted on the topmast of that near ship flying the White Ensign. Today of course the White Ensign is Royal Navy and Red Ensign is Merchant Navy.
Good Watch.