Valentine's Day: How It All Started

 

            Often we think about "love" as a feeling we feel towards someone we like; someone we adore. Some say "love is universal," an expression of harmony of everyone and everything. Love can be interpreted and expressed in many various ways. Over the course of time, people are engrossed in the idea of celebrating and deliberately expressing their love to someone, either their significant other, family or even friends every month of February, specifically every 14th of February. This time of the year, people share their affection with others by exchanging gifts and tokens of appreciation such as roses, chocolates, and letters. But the question is, why do people celebrate such an event? How did this tradition start?

            By some accounts, the origin of the celebration of Valentine's Day dates back centuries ago. Originally, Valentine's Day derives from the Roman pagan holiday, Lupercalia. Practiced centuries ago every mid-february. This occasion celebrates the coming of spring including fertility, where men strip and sacrifice a goat and dog. Young boys would then use the strips of pelt from the sacrificed animals to whip young women, this is to bestow fertility. Lupercalia was popular and it was all good until the late fifth century when Pope Gelasius came to power. It was then when Lupercalia was put to an end and was replaced with Valentine's Day. This is believed to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death.

             According to some legends, Valentine was a priest who served during the third century, during the reign of Emperor Claudius III. At this point, the army is having a problem with recruitment. Men being hesitant to leave their wives and families are said to be the reason why there are not enough men enlisting as soldiers to join the army. This led the Emperor to outlaw marriages and engagements. But it was then defied by Saint Valentine and managed to perform marriages in secret. Unfortunately, he was caught and got arrested. In about 269 A.D on the 14th of February, he was executed.

            Although the origin of Valentine's Day was tragic, it was kept as a holiday and people continued to celebrate the said event every year. Valentine's Day truly is a day to celebrate love, but let's not lose the fact that spreading love does not only happen during the 14th of February but must be expressed every day.

Reference/s:

Combs, S.(2020, February 13). Valentine's Day wasn't always about love. National Geographic. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/saint-st-valentines-day?cmpid=int_org%3Dngp%3A%3Aint_mc%3Dwebsite%3A%3Aint_src%3Dngp%3A%3Aint_cmp%3Damp%3A%3Aint_add%3Damp_readtherest 

Garrison, G.(2014, February 14). Who was St. Valentine? Did he die for love? Where are his bones?. AL.COM. Retrieved from https://l.messenger.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.al.com%2Fliving%2F2014%2F02%2Fwho_was_st_valentine_did_he_di.html&h=AT1_bXbGR3MWARB2E4sIcM8P_1XysDj99-0OcKj9sqMuH-ndeJKIs_AqbEXjbuRnYCW-rRG7PtmhsO7rZjwjz9XmtmrHtCDMG57kRw1IiMxyGLygT0JtVkwtqlgYe-Un4vyI 

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