Valentine’s Day

Every February 14, most Americans are divided between mixed emotions.  For some, this day is an absolutely incredible day and they are floating on Cloud Nine throughout the day.  However, for others, February 14^th is a painful day that they would just like to see pass by.  So why is February 14^th such a controversial day every day, that’s because it’s Valentine’s Day: the day that some to love to hate while others love to, well, love.

Valentine’s Day is a day that celebrates romance and love.  A day steeped in red candy hearts and the myth of this creepy dude named Cupid that creates love connections by shooting people with an arrow, Valentine’s Day is truly one of the most festive holidays of the year.  A time where so much bad poetry gets circulated and gifts are hastily bought, nobody is exactly sure what the origins of Valentine’s Day are.

However, many experts agree that the February  has historically been celebrated as the month of romance.  The Ancient Romans practiced a pagan celebration that commemorates young men’s rite of passage to the god Lupercus.  A strange tradition came from these celebrations as a lottery was employed that featured the names of teenage girls in a box.  Young Roman men would then draw these names and the girl that they had chosen would be assigned to the man as their sexual companion during the remaining year.

However, as humanity evolved and the Roman Catholic Church increased their power, this pagan holiday morphed into Valentine’s Day.  Legend has it that Pope Galasius sought out a replacement to the pagan god Lupercus as the symbol of romance.  As the Catholic Church officially recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, nobody is quiet sure who the St. Valentine that is commemorated with their own holiday is.  However, it is believed that St. Valentine was a priest that served during the third century in Rome.

It is believed that St. Valentine is the patron saint of romance due to his role subverting the rule of Emperor Claudius II.  During this time period, Emperor Claudius II had determined that single men made better soldiers than married ones.  Logically, Emperor Claudius II took the step of outlawing marriage for young men, as he wanted these people to focus on serving him as soldiers.  Predictably, many young men weren’t exactly thrilled with this prospect, in which St. Valentine decided to engage in some civil disobedience and continue his practice of performing marriages for young lovers.  However, once Emperor Claudius II found out exactly what St. Valentine was doing, let’s just say he wasn’t exactly pleased.  Perhaps this was a case of overreacting but Emperor Claudius II had St. Valentine stoned and beheaded, thus ending this brief period of Roman history.

Considering the somewhat morbid origins of the holiday, it is surprising to see what a festive time Valentine’s Day is.  Of course most people don’t think about the decrees of Emperor Claudius II, so it can be argued that St. Valentine actually had the last laugh in this contentious rivalry.  Regardless, Valentine’s Day is a great time to celebrate romance.  Even the most ardent opponent of Valentine’s Day is not opposed to romance and probably oppose the holiday because they are lacking romance.

So, Valentine’s Day should be celebrated in a way that makes your significant other happy.  For couples, it’s a time to do something nice for your partner.  For people that are single, it’s a time to piss or get off the pot.  If there’s somebody you like, go ahead and air out your intentions.  Go forth and love my readers and have a happy Valentine’s Day!