Be it love or be it blood, both are recognized by the same color red. 14th February today is called a day to confess or celebrate one’s love. But has it been the same from the start of its origin?
According to Multiple sources, the history of valentine is mysterious and unclear. Every source will narrate a different story with some or maybe no similarity. It depends upon which sources you are referring to.
There was a time in Rome when Emperor Claudius 2 ruled Rome and believed that unmarried men make great soldiers in comparison to the one who are married. So he ordered a prohibition on marriages for soldiers. In his reign a Saint named Valentine felt the king’s rule was unfair and cruel to people so he secretly got soldiers married to their love. When the king came to know about this act of Saint, he felt that the Saint had defied his orders. So he decided to execute him on 14th February.
Another tale says when Saint Valentine was in jail, he healed the jailor’s daughter from blindness and as a farewell he wrote a letter to her mentioning ‘Your Valentine’ at the bottom of the letter.
Well both stories depict the martyrdom of Saint for doing their duty and serving the society. The bloodshed day was later celebrated by people as a matter of respect and devotion for the Saint.
Another tale which is still not so fairy says that Romans celebrated festival Lupercalia in the mid February, in which women were tortured and stood in line paired with men by lottery. They had to be together at least till the end of the festival and longer if they wished to.
Not an end to this but a continuation of tales, there is another which is sort of a fairy one, Roman also believed the mating season of birds started by the Mid February and hence 14 Feb was the day given to celebrate love.
The day actually gained significance when poets started romanticizing it in their poems and stories. The first one to do it was Geoffrey Chaucer who recorded St. Valentine’s Day as a day of romantic celebration in his 1375 poem “Parliament of Fowls ”.
And there began a new journey of day, love and lovers. The day started to be more romantic when people can confess their love and a journey of life. This became even sweeter with the emergence of cards, chocolates, and roses. And from brutal bloodshed the time moved this day to make relations which are not less than blood.
Today this festival is popular in countries like the US, Britain, Australia, Mexico, Argentina and it is a festival that contributes billions to different industries in these countries.
