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 14th is a painful day that they
would just like to see pass by. So why
is February 14th 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!
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