There is always a need for more love to be expressed by one human to another, so why not take this opportunity to show your love and appreciation to others?
by Staff Reporter.
Did you know that 6 million people get engaged on Valentine’s Day each year? Or that Valentine’s Day is the most common wedding anniversary day in the Philippines?
It seems this is a time when “love is in the air.” Yet, according to statistics, Americans generally are just apathetic about this holiday overall. (Really? I’m not!) The Harris Poll shows that only 1 percent of Americans list Valentine’s Day as their favorite holiday, ranking it alongside Memorial Day and Labor Day. Some people say it is a lot of chocolates, flowers, and cards for nothing!
There is a mystery…
The origination of St. Valentine’s Day is a mystery, especially when the Catholic Church names at least 3 different martyred saints, all having the name “Valentine’.
One was a priest who served during the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius II, who outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine believed this was wrong, continued to perform marriages, and when discovered to be defying the Emperor’s rule, was put to death around 270 A.D.
Some historians claim that St. Valentine was a bishop, St. Valentine of Terni, who Claudius also killed.
Another story is that Valentine was a prisoner who fell in love with a young girl (maybe the jailer’s daughter) who visited him during his imprisonment. Allegedly, he wrote her a letter before his death, which he signed “From Your Valentine.”
Whichever Valentine is the “original one,” he was seen as a heroic and romantic figure; eventually, in the Middle Ages, he became one of the most popular of all saints in France and England. He is credited with watching over love and happy marriages; he is also known as the patron saint of beekeeping, travelers, fainting, and people with epilepsy.
Some think the church may have established Valentine’s Day in an effort to “Christianize” a very pagan Roman holiday called Lupercalia.
At the end of the 5th Century, Pope Gelasius totally outlawed Lupercalia and declared its date to be known from thereon as “The Feast of St. Valentine.” (However, it was much later that this holiday was associated with love).
Let’s move forward to American Valentine traditions
Eventually, in America, Valentine’s Day called for more elaborate cards and Valentine-themed chocolate confections. In 1861, Cadbury Chocolate Company developed an innovation, offering candies in heart-shaped boxes. These were a big hit!
Today, more cards are sent for Valentine’s Day than other holidays (excluding Christmas). “Romantics” give approximately 145 million Valentine cards yearly. (This only includes store-bought cards………not the homemade variety!)
Valentine’s Day garners billions of dollars yearly (in 2020, 27.4 billion was spent on roses, romantic dinners, candies, etc. ). In the past several years, jewelry has become a celebrated Valentine’s gift more than in times past.
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Different cultures celebrate Valentine’s Day in various ways
Japan: Women are expected to give chocolate gifts.
South Africa: Women very openly wear the names of their lovers on their shirt sleeves.
Norway: Women receive poems they must decipher to discover their suitor’s identity.
Italy: Chocolate-covered hazelnuts are wrapped in romantic sayings.
Philippines: Government-sponsored group “mass weddings” help those low on cash. Couples just arrive in wedding attire and say, “I do.”
In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.
Valentines at School
Schoolchildren are seen busily decorating “Valentine Mail Pouches” or “Valentine Mail Boxes” and laboriously following a list of their classmates, addressing a Valentine to each one, trying to send cards that are not too personal and would give their classmates a romantic message. That would be too embarrassing!
We could all use more love
There is always a need for more love to be expressed by one human to another, so why not take this opportunity to show your love and appreciation to others? Flowers, chocolates, cards….. all are nice places to start. But it could be a poem, a song, a symphony concert, a dinner out…………be creative! Reach out to others with love and appreciation.
