Saint Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is observed worldwide and Nigeria is definitely no exception. Romantic gifts such as cards, flowers, sweets, chocolates are exchanged between lovers on this day. This is when you see husbands and boyfriends buy loads of gifts for their partners or take them out shopping, something many forget to do ordinarily. Eateries and cinemas alike are packed to the brim. Some people even choose this day to wear red which is said to be a symbol of love, all in the name of Valentine. Sad to say, very few people know the origin of the Saint Valentine that they celebrate..
History
Valentine's Day is named after Saint Valentine. But the question is: who was Saint Valentine and why is February 14 dedicated to him? There are so many stories and myths attached to the name that one begins to wonder which represents the truth. However, the most popular of them all is one that has a Christian and an ancient Roman origin. As the story goes, Saint Valentine, a Christian priest, secretly got couples married against the order of Rome's ruler, Emperor Claudius.
It is believed that Claudius was a wicked ruler who blamed his inability to recruit enough soldiers for his endless campaigns on the men's lovers and families. He claimed that the men did not want to leave their loved ones, and therefore cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. Saint Valentine was imprisoned for secretly conducting the marriages and later beheaded on what is now believed to be February 14.
By this time, his fame had grown; he was known to have a lot of sympathisers, many of whom visited him in gaol. Among these, was the jailer's daughter.
Before being hauled off to the presence of the prefect of Rome where he met his fate, Valentine left the jailer's daughter a note signed off with the words popularly used today: ‘Your Valentine'. He was one of two celebrated martyrs named Valentine during the reign of Emperor Claudius, and the day of his martyrdom is now celebrated as Valentine's Day.
The other martyred Valentine was a Roman who was killed for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on the February 14, 269 AD. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 as Valentine's Day in 496 AD.
Tradition
"For this was on seynt Volantynys day Whan every bryd comyth there to chese his make." The above lines are excerpted from Geoffrey Chaucer's poem ‘Parlement of Foules', written in honour of the first anniversary of the engagement of England's King Richard II to Anne of Bohemia. As his words show, Chaucer associated Saint Valentine's Day (‘Seynt Volantynys') with love. The poem was written as far back as 1382, during the period of traditional courtly love. William Shakespeare also speaks of Saint Valentine's day through the voice of Ophelia in ‘Hamlet', as follows:
"Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's day, All in the morning betime, And I a maid at your window,To be your Valentine." -- Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5.
These are both literary references to Saint Valentine's Day at different periods. Prior to the proper documentation of Saint Valentine's day, traditions of its observance, varied. For example, before the Middle Ages, lovers exchanged gifts of carved wooden love spoons with decorations of hearts, keys and keyholes which suggested the opening of hearts.
Modern celebration
Nowadays, Saint Valentine's day is observed in various ways. Gifts like chocolates, red roses and cards - which have a long history of their own - are examples of very romantic gifts exchanged during this period. Perfumes and teddy bears are also popular among the affectionate tokens given to symbolise love. Supermarkets, cinemas, and eateries receive wider patronage during this season of love. Even before the set date , love is already in the air and couples can hardly wait to commemorate it.
However, it is pertinent to add that a man does not have to wait till Valentine's day to show his partner how much he loves her, and vice-versa. People have a way of waiting till the D- day. Imagine this real life scenario: ‘Honey, let's go to the cinema tonight.' The so-called honey takes forever to tear his gaze from the football game he is watching and asks with a puzzled expression on his face, "Why? Is today Valentine's?"
Why does it have to be Valentine before he takes his partner out? So, while Saint Valentine's is a day dedicated to lovers strengthening, rekindling and demonstrating their love, the celebration of love should not be left to one single day a year. And if you still do not know what to buy for your partner, try a card with the heart-shaped design. It says all you need to say, and more..
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