Weeks before she'll turn 34, she told her husband, "No celebration, no gifts, no food. Just a quiet night with all my boys!". Which her husband readily submitted to thinking it would be too tiring for his wife to do the "usual". Usual as in inviting friends and family. One thing she lived up with having a birthday that falls on Valentines Day, everyone remembers. "Besides, I'm getting old. Its no longer fun adding the numbers", she convinced herself.
Her big day came and the husband went to work. NO "Happy birthday Hon!" NOT even a text message of "Happy Heart's Day" for her. "Oh, he is up to something", she tried to think as an excuse. Ten o'clock, lunch break and the phone never rang. " I said no celebration, not totally forget about it!", she told herself with her eyebrows now crooked.
The door opened and the husband came. "Look! He has nothing, not even a single rose!", in her mind the voices spoke. Still no greeting but the husband asked, "Adu ba nag-greet kenka?(Were there a lot who greeted you). She said yes and told him about her Daddy's phone call. She added, "Dad had pinikpikan and pancit. You know, a simple Valentines feast for them ". The husband answered, "You really are special to Dad. He cooked those for you!"
Earlier that day her sister said she'll be coming over. "Good, she'll babysit so we could go with our original plan a month ago. If someone will stay with the kids we'll dine out." she gladly thought. Then her other sister called to greet but was upset because her kids were sick. "Maybe it would be better if Ica goes to you, you need her more for help", she told her other sister. So, dinner for two was crossed out.
4 PM, 5 PM, 6PM, 7PM...She's counting the time. "Naah-ah, he took my words for it. Oh well, its what I asked for.", she now succumbed her defeat. She then started to cook for dinner but the husband said, "I thought we're ordering pizza?"... She saw light and rays of hope! "Yeah, brilliant! Had that almost two months ago. Now, I'm craving for it.", as the voices spoke happily in her mind.
Her son jumping saying, "Pizza! Pizza! Pizza and fries!" was enough to draw that joy for the day. And, ALAS it came! A humongous pizza with 2 variety of toppings on each side.
Then to her surprise the cake and the flowers came too. Her husband is holding 'em as he sings the birthday song. And there's more, a bag from Solaris which she opened. She took out first the membership card which she thought was a gift certificate for the spa. But, the card turned out to be a one year guarantee for the signatured sunglasses she thinks is too much for a luxury.
Maybe the food had cast it's spell, her little boys slept early and soundly - what a gift. "Hon, this is my best birthday ever!" she whispered to her husband before she affirmed it with a long and passionate kiss. "I am very happy", she added in between...
Tell me, isn't she harebrained sometimes? What she says, she doesn't mean and you'll get to pay when you haven't sensed it right. " It takes a real man to know what donna wants", she wants to believe. "I'll have my revenge!", she now ends.
This yearly event evolved from the religious practice of fasting for Lent that could be traced back during the 14th Century. "Farewell, meat!" ('carnival' in Latin) was the original concept of this merriment. Before Ash Wednesday and the start for the people to fast - meat, butter and eggs are all to be consumed. This religious practice became an excuse for parties and encouraged pagan activities. Then the Catholic church injecting religion, allowed an equally period of celebration from Twelfth Night until the midnight of Shrove Tuesday. 
Private Gala dinners, grand ball, poetry reading and theater plays are also organized by different organizations making this month as the start of business establishments to pick up from the slow input during the winter. Portale di Venezia has the calendar of events 
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