Here comes Valentine’s Day – a day we all anxiously wait for. Yes, all of us, because days like these give all the pseudo intellectuals across social media a chance to throw their perspective and show off their moral values to friends and strangers alike.
Like every year, since the past few years, you’ve definitely spotted red roses, red balloons, and horrific red teddies at gifts shops and by the road side. I’m sure you’ve already spotted young teenagers with roses outside education institutes for girls. Now, that’s the particular class which has exploited the very essence of Valentine’s Day. The past few years have given access to all kind of information to everyone. It’s given more wrong-kind-of-exposure than giving the right-kind-of-exposure. And especially, since parents or elders in the family do not feel it important to seek the right information for themselves and their children, teenagers who just want to look cool for the sake of it, end up indulging in nonsensical activities.
But along with all this there is another trend that you definitely notice on Valentine’s Day. That’s the anti-Valentine’s Day celebrants. Slogans and rallies, and banner across the cities and towns can be seen discouraging celebration of Valentine’s Day. The anti-Valentine’s Day celebrants too lack the correct knowledge about this day. Because if they did, they wouldn’t find it necessary to debate on this topic.
So, what actually is Valentine’s Day?
Don’t google it. Please! It’ll do you no good.
Trust me, the internet is full of crap. This free wave of information is penetrating into the minds of everyone regardless of their age, faith and creed, or social background. The global village that’s promoting inter-cultural harmony is, at the same time, owing to commercialism, inspiring people of all kinds to adopt customs and traditions that shouldn’t actually have anything to do with them. For instance, remember ‘Black Friday’? Seriously, more than half the population has no clue what it is about. Worst of all was the absurdity shown by top class brands, who couldn’t hide their enthusiasm to earn extra profit in the name of Black Friday Sale; and yet, labelled their activity as ‘White Friday.’ Some went as far as calling it ‘Good Friday’ – not at all showing respect to what ‘Good Friday’ actually means. Such has become the sad state of our society. All this endeavour to become alike with global trends has divided our society into two extremes. There’s one extreme that, in the name of secularism or liberalism, is adopting trends without understanding the very basics of it. While on the other hand, the other extreme, in the name of religion, is critically opposing trends without wanting to understand its significance.
Valentine’s Day is, in fact, is a sacred event. Because the internet is full of nonsense, you’ll find a lot of gruesome information about the history of this day. Valentine’s Day is a religious day dedicated to Saint Valentine, and so is also called The Feast of St Valentino or St Valentine. None of the stories about St Valentine are true expect for the fact that he was a priest, who believed in the sacrament of Holy Matrimony as being sacred. It is believed that St Valentine was executed because he was marrying off couples during the times of war, which at that time was forbidden by the emperor of that kingdom. St Valentine was, therefore, executed by emperor Claudius Gothicus (Claudius II) of Rome. It is also believed that he was executed because he was successfully converting people to his faith. According to Catholic Online, Pope Julius I is said to have built a Church near Ponte Mole in his memory, which for a long time gave name to the gate now called Porta del Popolo, formerly, Porta Valetini.
Because February takes us from winter to spring, and is the season of mating, over the centuries St Valentine’s gift to bless married couple with love and happiness has been associated with the celebration of love. As a matter of fact, historians believe Valentine’s Day may have overpowered the pagan holiday Lupercalia that has nothing to do with the actual significance of St Valentine’s feast.
Father O'Gara on CBN commented, "If Valentine were here today, he would say to married couples that there comes a time where you're going to have to suffer. It's not going to be easy to maintain your commitment and your vows in marriage.” So, just like a wedding anniversary, this day calls married couples to recall their commitments, while asking engaged couples to make vows based on sanctity. Thus, Valentine’s Day aims to revive the holiness of the blessed commitment that binds couples in a sacred bond of love.
St. Valentine is the Patron Saint of engaged couples, married couple, happy marriages, love, and along with that of bee keepers, epilepsy, travellers, and young people. Mind you, here we are talking about love and not immoral sentiments such as lust. He is represented in pictures with birds and roses to depict happiness. Looking at the example of this Saint, one should vow to keep the sacredness of marriage or marital relationship. It is a day of thanksgiving for the blessing of having a loving partner and being able to create a happy family.
So, all those who are pro or anti Valentine’s Day, all those exploiting the sacredness of Valentine’s Day, or those who are single and cannot help but criticize the couples simply because you are sailing a different boat at the moment, you seriously do not need to waste time criticizing the feast day. In fact, you all don’t even have to say anything. Just that, don’t let commercialism sweep you away with all its glitter.
Let the martyr, St Valentine, rest in peace peacefully!