Valentine's Day - The Official
Declaration
We owe the existence of Valentine's Day to the ancient Roman festival
of Lupercalia. Lupercalia was celebrated on the 15th of February every
year. Names of young girls would be written on chits of paper, and the
chits would then be drawn by young men. The couples would then go on to
enjoy a night of wining, dining and sexual pleasures.
This festival was frowned upon by more conservative elders and the members
of the church. However, they knew they couldn't ban the festival completely.
They needed to come up with an alternative. Instead of paying tribute to
the wanton goddess Juno, as they did on Lupercalia, they needed a more
conservative idol.
Saint Valentine was a respected bishop who had been martyred centuries
ago, on the 14th of February, which was just a day before Lupercalia. So,
in their endeavor to convert the festival to romance instead of one of
lust, they embellished the story of his death a bit, added a romantic twist,
and declared it Valentine's Day an official festival.
The story of St. Valentine
In the year 270 AD, when Claudius II was the emperor of Rome, he inherited
an empire which was heading towards disaster. Administration had reached
an all-time low and taxation had reached an all-time high! Trade was in
a slump and the economy was in shambles. The Roman Empire had grown too
large, and it was proving difficult to hold on to it.
One of the first things Claudius did when he sat on the throne was to
issue a dictate prohibiting marriage. The reason behind issuing this heartless
law Claudius felt that married men were very emotional and were very attached
to their families. As a result, not many of them were keen to become soldiers, and as for
those soldiers who were already married - they did not display the ruthlessness
and single-minded dedication of their unmarried counterparts. With pressure
increasing on the boundaries of Rome, Claudius felt the need to resort to these drastic
measures before the empire totally fell apart.
St. Valentine, a bishop at a Church close to Rome, resolved to help
young lovers who wanted to seal their love with the bond of matrimony.
His fame quickly spread amidst hushed tones, among the lovers of Rome.
Once a couple had decided to get married, they would contact Valentine,
arrange for a secret meeting, and he would then unite the couple and pronounce
them man and wife.
Time passed, and eventually Claudius got wind of this friend of lovers.
He had him arrested, and on the 14th February, he was executed.
Legend has it that before his execution, Valentine had fallen in love
with the jailor's daughter. She was blind, and through his miraculous healing
powers, he restored her sight. On the day of his execution he asked for
a pen and paper, on which he scribbled a farewell message and signed it
'From Your Valentine'.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Valentine Cards
One of the first Valentine's Day cards was sent in the year 1415 by
Charles, the duke of Orleans, to his wife. Charles was imprisoned in the
Tower of London, and he spent this time to make cards for his wife, telling
her how much he loved her. These cards are now in display at the British
museum.
Some of us look forward to Valentine's Day,
some of us dread it, and some of us dismiss it as a marketing gimmick.
But how many of us know the history of this festival of love?