|
Young World
Love is in the air
SWAPNA DUTTA
|
Valentine's day is time to reaffirm your love. It is a day set aside for love, friendship, loyalty and understanding.
|
The world celebrates St. Valentines Day on February 14. People send Valentine cards, flowers and gifts to those whom they consider special.
Most people believe that Valentines Day owes its origin to the ancient feast of Lupercalia that was celebrated in Rome long ago. Rome was known for fierce wolves that roamed wild in the forests. So the people prayed to Lupercus, a Roman god, to keep the wolves away. The festival held in his honour, Lupercalia, was held on February 15. The calendar used to be different in those days and February was spring time. Lupercalia was celebrated as a spring festival. Juno and Pan were honoured too, as gods of love. It was believed that the birds selected their mates on this day.
On the eve of Lupercalia (February 14) the names of young Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed in boxes. The young men drew out a slip and the girl whose name was written on the slip became his sweetheart for the year. The box was called the "Valentine" box and the day came to be called Valentines Day. Sweethearts chosen this way were the "Valentines" of the young men.
You might ask, why the name "Valentine" was chosen. Was there really a saint called Valentine? Three saints named Valentine have been mentioned in the early Books of martyrs. All of them were martyred on February 14. One of them was a priest in Rome during the reign of Claudius II. Christianity was a new religion in those days. Emperor Claudius ordered that none of his soldiers should get married or even engaged and forbade all such ceremonies. He believed that no soldier could have the required single-minded attention unless he was single and fancy-free. Also, married soldiers might want to stay at home with their families and not rush to the battlefield the moment they were needed. Valentine, however refused to obey this order and continued to marry young soldiers secretly. When Claudius got to know of it he got Valentine arrested, imprisoned and then put to death. He was beheaded on February 14, the day before the feast of Lupercalia. Another Valentine was the bishop of Interamna (now Terni). He was executed because he refused to worship pagan gods.
Both Valentines are buried on the Flaminian Way, though at some distance from each other. The place, Porta del Popolo used to be known as the Gate of St. Valentine. Very little is known about the third Valentine except that he was martyred in Africa on the same date, i.e., February 14. The martyrs were acknowledged as saints after their death. With the spread of Christianity the priests changed the day of the spring festival from February 15 to 14. And the holiday now honoured Saint Valentine instead of the pagan god Lupercus. And Saint Valentine became the patron saint of lovers.
Things that are eternal and forever — love, friendship, loyalty, and understanding are the real messages of St. Valentines Day.
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Young World
|
