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FEATURE: The enigma of Valentine
Sweet candies and roses of red, fancy chocolates and furry teddy bears, extravagantly wrapped gifts, friendship bands and delicate lockets ... these are the items which bring forth the essence of Valentine every year.
February 14... the date holds a special meaning for most people all around the world. It is the day when broken hearts are joined together once more, lost friendships are anticipated anew and romantic warmth fills the air with its sultry enigma. On this day, Cupid works overtime in showering his arrows into hearts of a million people and more. That is the day when Valentine runs with full swing in the hearts of people.
History of V-Day
Valentine’s Day is observed after a famous saint, St Valentine. The history of this occasion is obscured in mystery ... but one thing is for sure: St Valentine’s Day has been acquainted with romanticism since a long long time. This day, in fact, contains relics of both Christian and ancient Roman traditions.
Actually, several legends are related with St Valentine, which are believed to have created the trend of celebrating Valentine’s Day.
One legend states that in ancient Rome, on February 14, a holiday was observed every year in order to honour Juno, the Queen of Roman gods and goddesses. The following day, February 15, began the Feast of Lupercalia. In those times, the lives of girls and boys were strictly separate. However, on the festival of Lupercalia, girls and boys were allowed to pair up via a little game, and then they were allowed to date each other.
During the rule of Emperor Claudius II, Rome was involved in many bloody battles. The soldiers of the Emperor’s army were reluctant to go and fight battles. Claudius believed that this was because his soldiers were too involved with their loved ones and in-laws. Therefore, he condemned and prohibited all marriages and engagements. In those days, St Valentine was a priest in Rome. He used to aid Christian martyrs and secretly marry couples. His deeds angered Claudius II and therefore he jailed St Valentine. Later on, Valentine was martyred on February 14, 269 AD. Pope Gelasius, in AD496, set aside February 14 to honour St Valentine.
According to one legend, the first ‘valentine’ greeting was actually sent by St Valentine himself. It is believed that St Valentine fell in love with the jailor’s daughter, while in jail. She used to visit him during his confinement. Before his death, it is reputed that he wrote her a letter, which he signed ‘From your Valentine,’ an expression that is still in use today.
Famous Valentine traditions
Several traditions are acquainted with V-day, which people used to perform centuries ago. However, let’s take a look at that oh-so-very-interesting tradition, which was observed on February 15 before V-day came into existence.
By now you all know that February 14 was in fact an important Roman holiday, when Juno, the Queen of gods and goddesses was honoured by the Romans. You also know now that the lives of Roman boys and girls were strictly separate. The next day, on February 15, the Lupercalia Festival was observed. Well, on this day, young people would draw names. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl’s name from the jar and they would then be partners for the duration of the festival. Sometimes the pairing lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry. Veeeeeerrrry cute, eh?
Anyway, now that V-day finally did come into existence, let’s take a look at V-day traditions.
Centuries ago, in old England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine’s Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was:
“Good morning to you, valentine;
Curl your locks as I do mine—-
Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine.”
In Wales certain V-day gifts were very popular, specially carved wooden love spoons. The spoons were decorated with hearts, keys and keyholes. The decorations meant, “You unlock my heart!”
In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. For a whole week, they would wear these names on their sleeves. Today, it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling by wearing your heart on your sleeve.
In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. This is in fact a marriage proposal from the man to the girl. If the girl keeps the gift, it means she will marry him.
A love seat, as we all know, is a wide chair. Initially, it was made to seat one woman and her wide dress. Later, the love seat or, so called, the courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together — but not too closely!
Well, this was the whole myth of the famous Valentine’s Day. Today, the teddy bears, chocolates, heart-shaped cushions and jewellery boxes, roses and friendship bracelets are a token of expressing love towards the people we like and would like to know on even better terms. Apart from romanticism, V-day also marks a day of general down-to-earth friendship and care for people close to our hearts.
I hope this Valentine’s Day you went ahead to strengthen that friendship bond with whoever you desired. It takes guts to do it but then again, when the enigma of V-day is considered, anything is possible!
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
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