VALENTINE’S DAY

THE TRUE MEANING AND EVOLUTION OF Lifestyle

Annie Davis | Part 2 Biomedical Science

Valentine’s day happens every year on the 14th of February. It is a long-standing tradition within the Western world and more recently adopted by many other countries, including Japan and Israel. Despite Valentine’s popularity, in some countries, it is frowned upon or even banned to celebrate.

Valentine’s day happens every year on the 14th of February. It is a long-standing tradition within the Western world and more recently adopted by many other countries, including Japan and Israel. Despite Valentine’s popularity, in some countries, it is frowned upon or even banned to celebrate.

So, why do we celebrate it?

Some people believe that Valentine’s day has Christian origins. Historically, there were three different saints with the name Valentine or Valentinus reported. Legend has it that the Valentine

“Historically, there were three different saints with the name Valentine or Valentinus reported.”

in question originates back from the Roman era; when Emperor Claus II decided that single men made better soldiers than those who were married. He banned all future marriages! St Valentine defied and continued to marry young lovers in secret. Upon this discovery, Claus killed him. How romantic. Other stories involving St Valentine depict that Valentine was imprisoned and was in love with his captor’s daughter, who he wrote to; before being discovered and killed. Valentine’s Day may not even be a Christian celebration. It just so happens that the day coincides with the Pagan celebration of Lupercalia; a fertility festival dedicated to the god Fanus. To appease the god every year a goat was sacrificed. This gift was to ensure fertility for the coming year. However, the pagans didn’t stop there; they also sacrificed a dog, believing that it would bring purity. Later in the day, single women would have their names pulled from an urn to be married off to eligible bachelors, in a similar manner to the choosing for hunger games. Just much less violent (towards the humans involved anyway).

February 14th is also supposedly the first day of bird mating season. This could be the reason that Valentine’s Day is celebrated as a day of love!

Valentine’s Day was first officially declared in the 5th Century, but it wasn’t until much later that the day was associated with love. Following the 17th century, Val

“Valentine’s Day was first officially declared in the 5th Century, but it wasn’t until much later that the day was associated with love.”

The other theory is that during Roman times, St Valentine helped Christian people escape from imprisonment. The nature of these stories is very murky, some involving romance and others involving heroism. Seemingly making it unclear why we celebrate Valentine’s Day the way that we do. entines started to shape up into a similar celebration to how we see it today.

Fast forward to 2020 and we associate Valentine’s day with red roses, heart-shaped chocolates and cards. An estimated 145 million cards worldwide are sent every year. But it doesn’t stop there. People often go on extravagant dates and buy each other gifts.

A day dedicated to romance often leaves those that are single feeling left out and very lonely. At this time of year, there is increasing pressure to find yourself a romantic partner. But what if you

are fresh into a new relationship? Should you be obliged to splash out? What if you are casually seeing someone? An age-old celebration in a modern world leaves a lot of questions.

Valentine’s Day has become increasingly commercialised each year. Shops sell themed gifts at an inflated price earlier and earlier each year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see heart-shaped chocolates and red roses next Christmas!

Despite the commercial aspects, Valentine’s Day is a festival designed to bring people together. Love comes in all forms, whether that be between family members, partners, friends or something more complicated. Oh, and not to forget the love for our pets! Love cannot be quantified through means of commercial products or one day of affection. But society often suggests that the amount of money we spend on our loved ones reflects how much we love them, in an attempt to boost shops profits. To be quite honest, it doesn’t matter how much you spend on Valentine’s gifts. It’s the thought that counts!