Happy Valentine's Day
February 14, 2022
Valentine's Day, also known as Saint Valentine's Day, has a rich and
somewhat murky history intertwined with both Christian and ancient Roman
traditions. While the exact origins of the holiday are not entirely
clear, several legends and historical events have contributed to its
development into the widely celebrated day of love that it is today.
One popular legend surrounding Valentine's Day dates back to ancient
Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius II around the 3rd century AD.
According to this legend, Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men,
believing that single men made better soldiers. However, a Christian
priest named Valentine defied this decree and continued to perform
marriages for young couples in secret. When Claudius discovered
Valentine's actions, he ordered his execution. Before his execution,
Valentine supposedly sent a letter to the jailer's daughter, whom he had
befriended, and signed it "From your Valentine," an expression that
remains common in Valentine's Day cards and messages.
Another theory suggests that Valentine's Day may have been an attempt by
the Christian church to Christianize the pagan celebration of
Lupercalia, which was held in mid-February. Lupercalia was a fertility
festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and to the
founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. During Lupercalia, Roman priests
would sacrifice animals and then strip the hides from the animals to
make thongs. They would then run through the streets, gently slapping
both women and crops with the thongs to promote fertility.
Over time, the celebration of Lupercalia evolved into a more romantic
holiday associated with love and courtship. By the Middle Ages,
Valentine's Day had become widely celebrated in Europe, with various
customs and traditions emerging, such as the exchange of love notes and
tokens.
The association between Valentine's Day and romantic love was further
popularized in the 14th and 15th centuries by poets such as Geoffrey
Chaucer and William Shakespeare, who wrote about romantic love in their
works. By the 18th century, Valentine's Day had become an occasion for
people to express their love and affection for one another by exchanging
handwritten notes, flowers, and small gifts.
Today, Valentine's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world
as a day to express love and affection for romantic partners, family
members, and friends. It has become a highly commercialized holiday,
with the sale of greeting cards, flowers, chocolates, and other gifts
reaching significant levels each year. Despite its commercialization,
Valentine's Day remains an important cultural and social phenomenon,
continuing to evoke feelings of love, romance, and affection in people
around the world.
Code by Bontle Harmse