Yesterday, Guyana and the rest of the world were lit afire by the flames of Valentine’s Day. As the embers of the holiday remain burning, let us examine how this day became designated the day of lovers, and explore a little bit of history.
Valentine’s Day was originally based on a Roman holiday known as Lupercalia. For those of you studying Julius Caesar for CSEC, this name might ring a bell. It was a pagan holiday in which rites were done to increase fertility. However, as Christianity gained popularity, this tradition soon became outlawed, and the date, February 14, was designated as “St Valentine’s Day” by Pope Gelasius in the fifth century.
However, the identity of Saint Valentine is not as straightforward as one would expect. There are three Saints recognised by the Catholic Church of the name Valentine, but it is widely believed that the day is the namesake of a priest from Roman times. In the legend, Roman Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage, because he believed that single men would make better soldiers. Valentine, who thought this to be an injustice, secretly continued carrying out marriage ceremonies. When he was found out, he was sentenced to death. In other versions, Valentine is sentenced to jail for aiding Christian prisoners. Whilst his body was imprisoned, his heart was too, as he became enamoured with the daughter of his jailor. It is fabled that right before his death, he sent her a love letter, signed “from your Valentine”, becoming the first of many Valentine’s Day greetings.
It is easy to see how the day has become one of a celebration of love, once we look at its history. But strangely enough, love did not become associated with the date until the Middle Ages. At that time, in France and England, it was thought that birds began their mating in mid-February, which just so happened to be coincidental with Valentine’s Day. This belief is perhaps why the day slowly became more adapted to suit “love birds”. And records of written Valentine’s begin to show up in the 1400s.
With time, romantic gestures have become more and more extravagant, with greeting cards, chocolates, flowers and even jewellery being exchanged. Today, 220 million roses are grown on average for the big day, and perhaps even more surprisingly, about six million couples are likely to get engaged. It’s interesting to see how Valentine’s Day has evolved through the years; and maybe it will continue to evolve. Whatever happens, at least we know that the day actually comes from a place of deep meaning, and the holiday isn’t as superficial as it seems to some.
