As the world gears to celebrate Valentine's day on 14th February with youth all across having their hearts fluttering in anticipation, I in the course of a discussion with a fellow team member of Blue Caramel, tried to recollect the legend of St Valentine that I had heard a long time back, which had in a way made me certain that Valentine's Day, per say, did not have anything romantic associated with it, at the time of its inception.
Researching through the tales of St Valentine it comes across very clearly, that this day on which Saint Valentine, an early Christian saint was killed by the Roman Emperor Claudius for propagating Christianity as a religion, has nothing to do with anything "romantic". In fact, Saint Valentine tried to convert the Romans, who practiced "paganism" to Christianity. He also encouraged the Christians to get married. This earned him the ire of the Emperor subsequent to which he was executed on 14th February.
In fact, it was the 14th Century English poet Geoffrey Chaucer in his poem "Parlement of Foules", who brought in the first romantic angle to this otherwise solemn day. The rest as the saying goes is history.
Today, Valentine's Day is all about expressing love and being with the love of one's life. Today, the day has more of crass commercialization and materialism than any actual feeling. Markets are flooded with gifts for someone you love and the businesses do a roaring business. Exchanging bouquets of flowers, chocolates, jewellery and the works are the done thing this day.
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This brings me on to a question that has been bothering me for a very long time.. The question is, if we really love someone and want to make that person feel really special, do we really have to wait and zero in on a single day in the entire year. Does it really make sense?? But then when the martyrdom of a Saint is what it is actually all about, the only thing that comes to mind is "Oh Valentine!!!"
Researching through the tales of St Valentine it comes across very clearly, that this day on which Saint Valentine, an early Christian saint was killed by the Roman Emperor Claudius for propagating Christianity as a religion, has nothing to do with anything "romantic". In fact, Saint Valentine tried to convert the Romans, who practiced "paganism" to Christianity. He also encouraged the Christians to get married. This earned him the ire of the Emperor subsequent to which he was executed on 14th February.
In fact, it was the 14th Century English poet Geoffrey Chaucer in his poem "Parlement of Foules", who brought in the first romantic angle to this otherwise solemn day. The rest as the saying goes is history.
Today, Valentine's Day is all about expressing love and being with the love of one's life. Today, the day has more of crass commercialization and materialism than any actual feeling. Markets are flooded with gifts for someone you love and the businesses do a roaring business. Exchanging bouquets of flowers, chocolates, jewellery and the works are the done thing this day.
.jpg)
This brings me on to a question that has been bothering me for a very long time.. The question is, if we really love someone and want to make that person feel really special, do we really have to wait and zero in on a single day in the entire year. Does it really make sense?? But then when the martyrdom of a Saint is what it is actually all about, the only thing that comes to mind is "Oh Valentine!!!"
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