The meaning of Valentine's Day
Everyone in the world are the most happiest when they are in love and would love to celebrate their happiness the most on Valentine's day. Celebrating and merry making all the way, we are often unaware of the history of why February 14 is commonly known as the Valentine's Day. Read more to know the real meaning of Valentine's Day.
Valentine's Day, observed globally on the 14th of February, is celebration of love, in all its quintessential glories. The day identifiable with the exchange of love tokens and amorous tidbit, has stood out to be an international phenomenon. Despite fervent protests from fundamentalists and the so called religious fanatics, the day makes for much fanfare and widespread commemoration not only in the west, but also in the oriental countries. Read more to know the history of Valentine's Day.
History of Valentine's Day
Romantic love with all its dulcet coo-cooing might be the focal point of celebration rampant on Valentine's Day. With the paramount significance given to romantic passion and love, the saintly connotation and relevance are often missed out on. To go by Catholicism, Valentine's Day celebration finds its roots in the martyrdom of St. Valentine. Despite there being confusion as to who this saint actually was- the Christian priest existing during the times of Claudius II is most commonly focused on as the celebration focus of Valentine's Day. Now the execution and martyrdom of St. Valentine had little to do with passions or emotions of romantic love and more to do with that of challenge, compassion and dedication to priestly duties.
Legend surrounding St.Valentine
To go by legendary details, Claudius II, during his tenure ship outlawed /banned marriage amongst soldiers, as an incentive to boost dedication and patriotism. The courageous Christian priest not only went against Claudius's dictum; but also helped solemnize secret marriage ceremonies. His act of defiance led to his arrest and subsequent imprisonment. During his imprisonment, Valentine could help influence the jailer and his wife to Christianity. Not only this, he inspired their blind daughter with his kindness and pity. Now, the indomitable emperor sought a bargain with Valentine's religion to offer him life and release. Valentine was asked to choose between the renunciation of Christianity and death. Valentine chose the latter. Refusal of Valentine led to his disgrace and death.
According to the legend, the jailer's daughter befriended by St. Valentine was cured and healed. A day prior to his execution, Valentine wrote a note of assurance that in no way was she to be blamed for his death/execution. The letter of assurance was signed as 'from your Valentine'. One strand of meaning relevant to Valentine's Day owes its origin to this message.
The priest was executed on the 14th of February. Hailed subsequently as saint by Pope Gelasius, the day of his martyrdom began to be commemorated as the popularly deemed Valentine's Day. The day earmarked to remember a saintly figure and his love and dedication to humanity and unfolds a broad perspective of love and its nexus to the emotions of sacrifice, pity and kindness. Bearing in mind the day's connection to the martyrdom of Saint Valentine, the meaning and perspective of love should ideally take on a broader paradigm, slightly different from the hackneyed association of romantic love.
The changing meaning of Valentine's Day
While many strands of thoughts and legendary anecdotes play their roles in shaping out the meaning of Valentine's Day, the feast of Lupercalia with its nexus to fertility and marriage has a role to offer. One of the rituals involved with Lupercal, related to drawing out of names of maidens from an urn like container. The man drawing out the same was supposed to have been bound to the maiden by love, faithfulness and marital ties.
In course of the medieval ages of courtly chivalry - Valentine's Day took on an aura of romantic love, faithfulness and an act of chivalry. Forming the basis of matchmaking, the day continued with its ritualistic implication- where names of marriageable spinsters and bachelors were arranged in pairs. The couple bound in pair not only made way for romantic union, but was obliged to one another by acts of faithfulness and protection.
Modern meaning of Valentine's Day
The medieval implication of Valentine's Day with its insistence on knightly chivalry and protection was slated for a switchover during the modern age with its pertinent association to Charles, the captured Duke of Orleans. The young Duke in his captivity gave way to his creative spurt, composing doleful of poems for his wife and others whom he missed. In fact, the modern association to Valentine's Day with all its thrust on messaging and exchange of greetings is somewhat similar to Charles's initiative to connect to his Valentine by means of poem.
