Happy Valentine's Day!
I don't usually cover holidays I know well, but I thought that a day dedicated to love and sharing was a good thing to celebrate, especially in these still-troubling times of ours. Even better, this year's Valentine's Day occurs around several other fun holidays, including the start of Chinese/Lunar New Year on Friday, Feb. 12th, and Mardis Gras or Fat Tuesday on Tuesday, Feb. 16th.
Valentine's Day
Alternate Name: St. Valentine's Day, Feast of Saint Valentine
Date: February 14
Place: Worldwide
Type: Religious; cultural
Valentine's Day is officially St. Valentine's Day, commemorating one of many Roman saints named Valentine. Though the origins of St. Valentine's Day are relatively unknown, most people believe it honors St. Valentine of Rome or St. Valentine of Terni, both of them Christian priests martyred by Emperor Claudius II and buried on the Via Flamina in 496 AD. One of these men was killed and buried on February 14th, which, as is custom, was therefore chosen as his feast day.
(It's also possible that these two saints were actually the same person)
The association of St. Valentine's Day and lovers probably began with famous 14th-century English author Geoffrey Chaucer. In his 1375 poem “Parliament of Foules,” written in honor of King Richard II's engagement to Anne of Bohemia, Chaucer claimed that birds -- fowls or "foules" in Middle English -- chose their mate on Valentine's Day, which later encouraged people to do the same. Though Chaucer was likely referring to St. Valentine of Genoa's feast day, celebrated on May 3 (Richard and Anne were officially engaged on May 2, 1381). Later, people transferred this idea of birds and lovers coming together in the springtime to the Valentine's Day of February 14, which was originally February 23 in the Julian calendar, so at least a little closer to the springtime than it is now.
Afterwards, many legends linking St. Valentine of Rome and/or Terni to love and lovers emerged during the Middle Ages. Some say that he secretly performed Christian marriages or married Roman soldiers who were forbidden to take a wife until their time in the military was over; it is likely that he simply ministered to persecuted Christians. Other legends claim that, while imprisoned, he healed his jailer's blind daughter and even wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine."
The earliest known love poetry with links to Valentine's Day comes from the 15th century. Charles, Duke of Orleans, (later recognized as an acclaimed artist and poet in both French and English) was imprisoned in the Tower of London during the Hundred Years' War. He wrote to a lover that he was "already sick of love" i.e., lovesick and calls her "my very gentle Valentine." In a set of letters between lovers and eventual husband and wife Margery and John Paston, written in 1477, Margery calls John her "well-beloved" and "Valentine." The character of Ophelia, from William Shakespeare's play Hamlet (~1599 - 1601) also mentions Valentine's Day as a day for lovers.
Picture
Our modern Valentine's Day practices evolved during the 18th and 19th centuries. Love letters or cards and paper valentines became extremely popular during that time. In 1840, mail reform and the invention of the postage stamp in Britain increased the popularity of sending Valentine's Day cards in the mail. In 1847, American artist and businesswoman Esther Allen Howland of Worchester, Massachusetts started the first commercial Valentine's Day greeting card service in the United States. For this, she is called the "Mother of the American Valentine" which helped popularize the holiday in America. Then, in 1868, British chocolate company Cadbury created special heart-shaped "Fancy Boxes" for Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day gifts soon shifted from simple cards to include flowers, candy, and jewelry.
Still today, many people consider Valentine's Day a holiday simply for couples or those in romantic relationships.
But more and more people are viewing it as a day of love and friendship in general. In my family, for example, my mom always makes a special dinner and decorates the table with red napkins, candles, and little hearts so my parents, my brother, and I can celebrate as a family. Other modern practices include Galentine's Day, a Valentine's Day centered on female friends, or focusing on self-care. And of course, since Valentine's Day is technically a saint's feast day, you can also contemplate and celebrate God's divine love.
(Anyone else remember the dismay on social media two years ago when Valentine's Day coincided with Ash Wednesday? People were not happy).
The whole world has suffered great hardships this past year, and many of those hardships will unfortunately continue this year. People are still divided over politics, religion, race, and even common sense things like science and the truth. It's easy to rant and rage at people who we disagree with -- especially as sometimes they are misinformed or have acted unjustly. And believe me, I have to work on that myself more than I'd like to admit. But let's try to remember to bring love to every discourse, disagreement, and admonishment. Only then might we actually come close to healing our divisions.
However you celebrate Valentine's Day, I hope it is a day filled with love and sweetness for you and your loved ones.
Until next time!
References:
Comments