Valentine’s Day, celebrated on February 14th each year, is probably one of the most romantic holidays in the world. This is a day when couples demonstrate their love and affection by exchanging thoughtful gifts, sharing romantic dinner, and giving Valentines’ cards to each other. Although some people complain that the holiday became too commercialized and lost its charm as a result of it, for many others Valentine’s Day is still a wonderful occasion to show their appreciation to their loved ones. Where did the tradition to celebrate love on Valentine’s Day come from?
There are many legends surrounding the origins of this holiday, but one of the most popular one revolves around the figure of a young Christian priest named Valentine who lived during the third century in Rome. At that time, Rome was ruled by the Emperor Julius Claudius the Second who believed that unmarried soldiers performed better in the battlefields than their married counterparts whose loyalty belonged to their families. Consequently, the Emperor prohibited his soldiers to marry.
However, Valentine disobeyed Claudius’s order and performed marriage ceremonies for those in love. Moreover, he reconciled quarreling lovers, wrote love letters for people who could write well, and presented flowers to marrying couples. When it was discovered that he broke the order of the Emperor, Valentine was jailed and sentenced to death. While in prison, he fell in love with the blind daughter of the prison’s warden and, as the legend alleges, cured her blindness by the power of his love. Before Valentine was led to his death, he sent a farewell card to his beloved which was signed “From Your Valentine.”
We will never learn how much of this legend is true, but one thing is certain- St. Valentine had died in the name of Love. Although his life was cut short, he experienced many kinds of Love- love for God, love for all people, and love for a woman. Eventually, he was canonized by the Church; and around 498 A.D. Pope Gelasius declared February 14th as a St. Valentine’s Day.
In time, the holiday grew in popularity all over the world. Thus, St. Valentine’s Day was celebrated in Great Britain since 17th century, although one of the earliest Valentine cards was written as early as in 1415 by an imprisoned Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife. In the USA, the holiday became popular around 18th century. Cards, sweets, and flowers, especially red roses, became classic symbols of the holiday. According to the Greek myth, red roses came into existence because Aphrodite, Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty, stepped on some white roses when she was running to her lover, Adonis, and her blood colored the roses red.
Nowadays, different traditions emerged in different countries in their celebration of Valentine’s Day. For example, in Japan men receive more gifts than women – in essence, Valentine’s Day became a holiday dedicated to men. In Denmark, it is customarily to present dried white flowers as symbol of love; while in France jewelry is the traditional gift. However, no matter where you celebrate Valentine’s Day, the main thing is to remember that Love is the foundation of happiness.
Happy Valentine Day!
