Valentine's Day
For this Valentine's Day blog, I will try to be as brief as possible. But readers of my blogs will know that may be easier said than done. LOL.
A quick and dirty history of Valentine's Day;
The fact is that we are not sure of this exact origin of this holiday, or more correctly; the day's namesake; St. Valentine. The Catholic Church recognizes three martyred saints named Valentine. The most popular legend contends that St. Valentine was a priest that served the church during the third century. During this time Emperor Claudius II came to the conclusion that single men made better soldiers than ones with wives and/or families, and as such outlawed marriage for all young men. Valentine continued to marry young lovers in secret, and for those actions, once found out, he was executed. Other legends assert that he was a priest or an individual of similar standing who helped Christians escape from brutal Roman prison, or that an imprisoned Valentine sent a letter to the jailer's daughter with whom he had fell in love. As you can imagine, this letter was signed, āFrom Your Valentineā, this would be the first instance of sending a āValentineā to one's sweetheart. Whatever the activities of St. Valentine, due to his reputation, by the Middle Ages he would become one of the most popular and invoked Saints in both England and France.
What is interesting is the association Valentine's has with February. While many people believe that date has to do with the death and burial of St. Valentine, this is in doubt. There is considerable evidence that points to the fact that the Church used this opportunity to 'Christianize' the pagan holiday of Lupercalia. Roman priests would sacrifice a goat and a dog at the cave that was the birth site of Romulus and Remus (supposedly), who were then cared for by a she-wolf (hence Lupa). Following that single women would place their names in a large urn to be chosen by one of the cities bachelors, the two would be bonded for a year. In many cases these pair bondings turned into marriage. Not that different than online dating today, when you think about it. :) Lupercalia survived for some time during the rise of Christianity until it was outlawed at the end of the 5th century, only to have Pope Gelasius declare February 14th as St. Valentine's Day. It was not until later that the day became associated with love and romance, as mid-February was popularly believed in England and France to be the beginning of mating season for birds.
Whatever the origin, it is of little doubt that today Valentine's Day is unequivocally associated with romance, love, and all the naughty fun that can come with those things. We use this day to celebrate romance with that special someone, to show them how much they mean to us. Although we should be doing that all the time, but that is a discussion for another day.
(St. Valentine blessing St. Lucilla by Jacopo Bassano)
Valentine's Day and what it means to us today
For all of us in the current age, February 14th can represent an opportunity for fun and romance, or one of a reminder of being single (by the way, being single is not a bad thing, you can have a lot of fun being single). But whichever your perspective on Valentine's Day, we are faced with it and the societal responsibilities that it thrusts upon us, for better or worse. What is important is that we don't let those societal pressures cause us any undo stress or feelings of guilt for being single, or feelings of empty materialism for those of us in relationships.
Simply put Valentine's Day can mean more than a box of candy and jewelry or some personal lamentation of lack of a romantic partner. Because one thing we all have in common here, regardless of relationship status, is that we have friends and those for whom we care. What we can do is take a moment and make a gesture or give a small gift to show our friends how much we care, that they and their happiness is important to us. Valentine's Day is so often considered to be for romance only, and there absolutely is a responsibility to make our significant others feel as special as they are. But with that comes the evolving nature of society in a more inclusive, universal mindset. So perhaps in time Valentine's Day can also become a day of happiness or the expression of happiness, usually romantic but sometimes platonic. All too often people are made to feel guilty or bad about themselves simply because they are single, that because they aren't romantically attached that they are somehow āless thanā. This is simply not true, and personally while I may be in a relationship now, I've had Valentine's Days were I wasn't, and at times felt this way myself. The point is, people don't have to feel that way, and no one should let February 14th get them down when we have an entire network of friends to share happiness and togetherness with, even though it may not be romantic.
So my humble advice is to reach out to those people in our lives whose presence makes so much better. Share 'Happy Valentine's Day' wishes, listen to what they have to say and be there for them. So while gifts are not and should not be the main thrust of the holiday maybe give them some candy, a card, or a good book (a great gift for any occasion IMHO), show them that this day can be more than romantic, it can be for happiness and togetherness in whatever vein it occurs. We, at times, have no idea what someone is going through or what problems they are tackling in their deepest thoughts and feelings. Taking time to embrace the day and wishing someone a Happy Valentine's Day and giving them a hug (either tactile or digital) could make all the difference in their world. That's one of the great powers of friendship, to go a little bit out of your way, make a small gesture, and make another life so much better.
Now for those of us with that special someone in our lives, lets think outside the box a little, if possible. Romantic partners add a special something to our lives, and they absolutely should know it, so give a thoughtful and meaningful gift, and more important give them our undivided time. Time together in intimacy is more valuable than any material gift, and is the way true romantic relationships are deepened and made stronger. A gift can be as simple as a quiet evening at home or as grand as an exotic vacation, just show them that you care and that you want to be with them above anyone else.
To all my friends here, have a wonderful Valentine's Day. Be happy and healthy in what your lives and relationships bring you.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read my blogs.
A special thanks to the most excellent History.com for information on the origins of Valentine's Day. They have taken a huge amount of information and time and wrote it in a succinct and informative way, so this wouldn't be the same without their work
A quick and dirty history of Valentine's Day;
The fact is that we are not sure of this exact origin of this holiday, or more correctly; the day's namesake; St. Valentine. The Catholic Church recognizes three martyred saints named Valentine. The most popular legend contends that St. Valentine was a priest that served the church during the third century. During this time Emperor Claudius II came to the conclusion that single men made better soldiers than ones with wives and/or families, and as such outlawed marriage for all young men. Valentine continued to marry young lovers in secret, and for those actions, once found out, he was executed. Other legends assert that he was a priest or an individual of similar standing who helped Christians escape from brutal Roman prison, or that an imprisoned Valentine sent a letter to the jailer's daughter with whom he had fell in love. As you can imagine, this letter was signed, āFrom Your Valentineā, this would be the first instance of sending a āValentineā to one's sweetheart. Whatever the activities of St. Valentine, due to his reputation, by the Middle Ages he would become one of the most popular and invoked Saints in both England and France.
What is interesting is the association Valentine's has with February. While many people believe that date has to do with the death and burial of St. Valentine, this is in doubt. There is considerable evidence that points to the fact that the Church used this opportunity to 'Christianize' the pagan holiday of Lupercalia. Roman priests would sacrifice a goat and a dog at the cave that was the birth site of Romulus and Remus (supposedly), who were then cared for by a she-wolf (hence Lupa). Following that single women would place their names in a large urn to be chosen by one of the cities bachelors, the two would be bonded for a year. In many cases these pair bondings turned into marriage. Not that different than online dating today, when you think about it. :) Lupercalia survived for some time during the rise of Christianity until it was outlawed at the end of the 5th century, only to have Pope Gelasius declare February 14th as St. Valentine's Day. It was not until later that the day became associated with love and romance, as mid-February was popularly believed in England and France to be the beginning of mating season for birds.
Whatever the origin, it is of little doubt that today Valentine's Day is unequivocally associated with romance, love, and all the naughty fun that can come with those things. We use this day to celebrate romance with that special someone, to show them how much they mean to us. Although we should be doing that all the time, but that is a discussion for another day.
(St. Valentine blessing St. Lucilla by Jacopo Bassano)
Valentine's Day and what it means to us today
For all of us in the current age, February 14th can represent an opportunity for fun and romance, or one of a reminder of being single (by the way, being single is not a bad thing, you can have a lot of fun being single). But whichever your perspective on Valentine's Day, we are faced with it and the societal responsibilities that it thrusts upon us, for better or worse. What is important is that we don't let those societal pressures cause us any undo stress or feelings of guilt for being single, or feelings of empty materialism for those of us in relationships.
Simply put Valentine's Day can mean more than a box of candy and jewelry or some personal lamentation of lack of a romantic partner. Because one thing we all have in common here, regardless of relationship status, is that we have friends and those for whom we care. What we can do is take a moment and make a gesture or give a small gift to show our friends how much we care, that they and their happiness is important to us. Valentine's Day is so often considered to be for romance only, and there absolutely is a responsibility to make our significant others feel as special as they are. But with that comes the evolving nature of society in a more inclusive, universal mindset. So perhaps in time Valentine's Day can also become a day of happiness or the expression of happiness, usually romantic but sometimes platonic. All too often people are made to feel guilty or bad about themselves simply because they are single, that because they aren't romantically attached that they are somehow āless thanā. This is simply not true, and personally while I may be in a relationship now, I've had Valentine's Days were I wasn't, and at times felt this way myself. The point is, people don't have to feel that way, and no one should let February 14th get them down when we have an entire network of friends to share happiness and togetherness with, even though it may not be romantic.
So my humble advice is to reach out to those people in our lives whose presence makes so much better. Share 'Happy Valentine's Day' wishes, listen to what they have to say and be there for them. So while gifts are not and should not be the main thrust of the holiday maybe give them some candy, a card, or a good book (a great gift for any occasion IMHO), show them that this day can be more than romantic, it can be for happiness and togetherness in whatever vein it occurs. We, at times, have no idea what someone is going through or what problems they are tackling in their deepest thoughts and feelings. Taking time to embrace the day and wishing someone a Happy Valentine's Day and giving them a hug (either tactile or digital) could make all the difference in their world. That's one of the great powers of friendship, to go a little bit out of your way, make a small gesture, and make another life so much better.
Now for those of us with that special someone in our lives, lets think outside the box a little, if possible. Romantic partners add a special something to our lives, and they absolutely should know it, so give a thoughtful and meaningful gift, and more important give them our undivided time. Time together in intimacy is more valuable than any material gift, and is the way true romantic relationships are deepened and made stronger. A gift can be as simple as a quiet evening at home or as grand as an exotic vacation, just show them that you care and that you want to be with them above anyone else.
To all my friends here, have a wonderful Valentine's Day. Be happy and healthy in what your lives and relationships bring you.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read my blogs.
A special thanks to the most excellent History.com for information on the origins of Valentine's Day. They have taken a huge amount of information and time and wrote it in a succinct and informative way, so this wouldn't be the same without their work
9 years ago
Happy Valentine's Day!