Have you ever wondered what the meaning of Valentine’s Day is and why we celebrate it? Valentine’s Day, which falls on February 14th each year, is observed as a celebratory day of love. On this day, we express our love to our significant other as well as our family and friends. This day is also perceived as the day of romance as people enjoy wearing red attire and spending this day in the presence of their loved ones.
Valentine’s Day can also be observed as the day of admiration or friendship apart from love. On this day, people send red roses and gifts to their loved ones and cherish their presence in their lives. While Valentine’s day is a happy and joyous occasion that is celebrated all over the world, the origin of Valentine’s Day is not so merry. Let’s see how Valentine’s Day originated.
The Origin of Valentine’s Day
There isn’t any single universal opinion regarding the origin of Valentine’s day but the most commonly believed one is that February 14th was named Valentine’s day after Saint Valentine. He was a Catholic priest of the 3rd Century and resided in Rome. During this era, when St Valentine lived, many Romans were opting to get converted to Christianity. The emperor of those times was Claudius the second, and he has been described as a pagan.
It is said that he restricted the Roman soldiers from embracing Christianity and also prohibited them from marrying Christian women. Claudius had also passed a law stating the same. But since St Valentine was a strong believer in love, he began helping these Roman soldiers wed their Christian lady loves. As soon as the emperor learned about these activities, he immediately imprisoned St Valentine. However, this could not stop the good saint from spreading love. Legends say that he also cured his jailor’s blind daughter just before getting executed on February 14th, in the year 270.
Development of February 14th as Valentine’s day
Two hundred years after the execution of St Valentine, Rome had reemerged as a Christian-dominated area. Paganism was taking its last feeble steps when the Catholic Church decided to abolish the barbaric pagan ritual of fertility that was held on February 14th. In this barbaric festival, a dog and a goat would be sacrificed, and then women would be beaten up with the hides of the dead animals. It was believed that this act would make women more fertile. Since it was an absurd event, the pope decided to abolish this occasion. In this era, the pope of those times decided to re-establish this day as a day to honor Saint Valentine’s sacrifice for love. Hence, the day of February 14th was named Valentine’s Day. Since then, Valentine’s Day has been linked with a celebration of love and romance.
Symbols of Valentine’s Day
It is very common for people to send red roses, chocolates, or handmade cards to their loved ones on the occasion of Valentine’s day as all of these items symbolize love. Handmade cards are designed and crafted specially by the sender for their loved one and are an effort to show the amount of care they have for them. The practice of sending cards actually started in ancient times when lovers would send these beautiful cards to their beloveds, and these cards would generally have a sentimental verse written on them. These verses would describe how beautiful they were and how much their lovers loved them.
Significance of Valentine’s Day Today
Since Valentine’s day is celebrated all over the world in this contemporary era, we see that there have been various versions of it. In some countries, this day is observed as a day of love and romance. But in other countries, it is a day to show love to friends and family and appreciate their presence in our lives.
Valentine’s Day is generally associated as the day of love and romance, and couples all over the world celebrate this day in each other’s lovely presence. They exchange gifts and chocolates as a token of love. Red roses have a special significance on this day since red roses symbolize love. Couples mostly celebrate this day by going for candlelight dinners, attending picnics together, or cooking together. The main aim of this day is to spend time together. The main symbols of Valentine’s Day are hearts and flowers since they signify love. Couples also plan for staycations or short vacations. In addition, marriage proposals are also very common on this day.
So Why Is Valentine’s Day Celebrated?
The day of love, or Valentine’s day, might have a dark past and history but has emerged as the most beautiful day in the modern world. People choose this day to express commitment and love to their special ones. Marriage proposals, which are very common on this day, are considered to be very romantic and memorable. So if you’re looking for a day to express your love to your special one, this Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity for you. All the best!
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