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Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is a day to express your love to your loved ones, and to celebrate and rejoice with your dear and close mates. Remember, a Valentine can be a mother, a father or any other sibling, or it can be a very good friend, a very good teacher, even a very good neighbour.
It is a day to tell your friends that you care for them, you want to spend most of the time with them because you feel good to be with them, you want to share your happy, cherishing moments with them, you want to even share your grief with them because they are someone special. They are the ones who lift your spirits high when you are down. They feel sad when you are sad. It is a day to tell them, your heart also hurts when they get hurt and that you’ll always be there for them whenever they need you. And lastly, send a note of gratitude to them for all the care, love, attention, affection they gave you. Show them by your actions that you value the relationship.
History of Valentine’s Day
As early as the fourth century BC, the Romans engaged in an annual young man’s rite to passage to the God Lupercus. The names of the teenage women were placed in a box and drawn at random by adolescent men; thus, a man was assigned a woman companion for the duration of the year, after which another lottery was staged.
After eight hundred years of this cruel practice, the early church fathers sought to end this. They found an answer in Valentine, a bishop who had been martyred some two hundred years earlier.
According to church tradition St Valentine was a priest near Rome in about the year AD270. At that time the Roman Emperor Claudius-II had issued an edict forbidding marriage.
This was around when the heyday of the Roman Empire had almost come to an end. Lack of quality administrators led to frequent civil strife. Learning declined, taxation increased, and trade slumped to a precariously low level. And the Gauls, Slavs, Huns, Turks and Mongolians from Northern Europe and Asian increased their pressure on the Empire’s boundaries. The Empire was too large to be shielded from external aggression and internal chaos with existing forces. Thus more capable men were required to be recruited as soldiers and officers. When Claudius became the emperor, he felt that married men were more emotionally attached to their families, and thus, will not make good soldiers. So to assure quality soldiers, he banned marriage.
Valentine, a bishop, seeing the trauma of young lovers, met them in a secret place, and joined them in the sacrament of matrimony. Claudius learned of this “friend of lovers,” and had him arrested. The emperor, impressed with the young priest’s dignity and conviction, attempted to convert him to the Roman gods, to save him from certain execution. Valentine refused to recognize Roman gods and even attempted to convert the emperor, knowing the consequences fully.
On February 24, 270, Valentine was executed.
From your Valentine
While Valentine was in prison awaiting his fate, he came in contact with his jailer, Asterius. The jailer had a blind daughter. Asterius requested him to heal his daughter. Through his faith he miraculously restored the sight of Asterius’ daughter. Just before his execution, he asked for a pen and paper from his jailer, and signed a farewell message to her “From Your Valentine,” a phrase that lived ever after.
Valentine thus became a Patron Saint, and spiritual overseer of an annual festival. The festival involved young Romans offering women they admired, and wished to court, handwritten greetings of affection on February 14. The greeting cards acquired St Valentine’s name.
The Valentine’s Day card spread with Christianity, and is now celebrated all over the world. One of the earliest card was sent in 1415 by Charles, duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London. The card is now preserved in the British Museum.
Way of expressing your love
The most popular way of expressing your love is to give flowers. If a bouquet of flowers is not affordable then only 2-3 flowers would be enough. The reason behind this should be to make the other person realize that you care. The reason should not be to show-off.
Another way of expressing your gratitude is to give cards. Yes, cards are most economical and make wonderful gifts. Hand-made cards are preferable because that shows how much you care. You can even give a small gift along with the card to make it a long-lasting remembrance. The disadvantage of flowers is that though they are the best way to convey your feelings, they don’t last long and thus they won’t be a remembrance.
Gifts you can give
Giving expensive and extravagant gifts is not my cup of tea. You should give something unique that will make him/her feel special.
Usually, everyone gives candies and chocolates but for a change why not MAKE a gift, this Valentine.
Make a photo frame at home seeking an elder person’s help and then wrap a foil around its corners to give it a rich look. Glue some stickers or hearts on the sides of the frame. Hey, your gift isn’t ready yet. The next step is the final and easiest one which will actually make your valentine happy. All you have to do is search your cupboard for old photos. Suppose your Valentine is your friend who is studying with you for many years. So, select a photo in which you two are smiling wide with your teeth coming out like in a toothpaste ad! Place the photo in the frame and ta-daaa!!! The gift is ready! Serve it hot with a cup of love sprinkled with sincerity!
Should Valentine’s Day be celebrated or not?
As Valentine’s Day is a Christian festival therefore some people do not think it is advisable to celebrate. But let me ask those people why are they stepping back in making someone happy.
It’s true we shouldn’t adopt someone else’s culture but I think we should adopt every good thing which we can, from any religion and cast. Those people who are not in favour of celebrating this day should think positively. If this day is celebrated among parents, siblings, friends, teachers then I think there’s no harm as it is just taking out time and spending it with your loved ones.
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