History of Valentine’s Day
Paulina Berumen, Reporter
March 5, 2013
Filed under Life, Opinion
Oh, love is in the air. The roses, chocolates and teddy bears are stocked on market shelves; the greeting cards and romantic dates; the gifts and the kisses shared around. But what was the true meaning of Valentine before all these images of love were shared on Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day in present time is celebrated on February 14 in these countries: USA, Italy, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Mexico, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Japan, Panama, Korea, and Latin America. It recently has been introduced to parts of Africa. Here’s a little history about it. The love feast all started during the medieval times. A priest named Saint Valentine helped couples get married secretly. The reason why this happened was because many soldiers in the Roman Orthodox were not allowed to get married. He risked his life so that the couples could have a “happily ever after.” Even days before he got executed, he sent a letter to a soldier that read “For your Valentine.”
So, why is it that people have forgotten the real meaning behind Valentine’s Day? Valentine’s day has been commercialized and the celebration of the patron of love has been left behind and mostly forgotten. The media is largely to blame for people’s ignorance of the true meaning of Valentine’s day. Ms. Einhorn stated that “the media tends to show Valentine’s day as a day for romantic gestures.” But is this day really about love or has the media made it a day for people to spend money consuming overpriced gifts? Has propaganda brainwashed everyone to leave behind an important person in history?
Many people believe that others are being scammed every year. They need to be informed about the real meaning of Valentine’s day to show some respect for Saint Valentine, the priest that risked his life for the happiness of others during the Medieval Times. If we take the time to learn the history of this holiday, people may commemorate instead of spending unnecessary amounts of money every year.
Remember, money does not actually demonstrate how much we appreciate our loved ones. The way to show love is by doing the little things like spending time with one another, and sharing those special moments with each other. The message that we can take from Saint Valentine is that you can always fight for true love no matter what others say. Also that we should show our love towards others at all times and to appreciate one another every day – not just Valentine’s Day.
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