CELEBRATION DAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2022
The Obscure History Of Valentine’s Day
Regardless of the worldwide celebration the obscure history of Valentine’s Day remains unclear since thousands of years ago.
Valentine’s Day is known as the day of love because people celebrate it with things that are romantic and full of love. For example, giving special gifts such as roses, chocolates or having a romantic candle light dinner with your partner.
Historically, the celebration of Valentine’s Day which falls every mid-February is part of the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia which is known as Fertility Day. This festival is celebrated in honor of the Roman god of agriculture, Faunus as well as the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.
However, Lupercalia festival is generally celebrated on February 15th, while Valentine’s Day is celebrated one day earlier, which is February 14th.
Mid-February’s association with love and fertility dates back to time immemorial.
According to the date of the ancient Athenian calendar, the period between mid-January and mid-February was Gamelion month, which was dedicated to the sacred marriage of the gods Zeus and Hera.
The Greeting Card Association estimates about one billion Valentine cards are sent per year worldwide in the modern day. This makes this holiday the second largest holiday after Christmas when greeting cards are sent. The association also estimates that it is women who buy approximately 85% of all valentine cards.
In the United States, starting in the second half of the 20th century the tradition of exchanging cards during Valentine’s day expanded to include the giving of all kinds of gifts, usually by men to women. The gifts are usually roses and chocolates.
According to the Catholic Encyclopaedia (Catholic Encyclopaedia 1908), the name Valentinus can refer to at least three different martyrs or saints: a priest in Rome, a bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) and a martyr in the Roman province of Africa.
That priest from Rome named Valentine had a tragic ending. This legend tells that Valentine was beaten and ended up beheading on February 14, 278 AD. This form of execution was a punishment because the priest Valentine was considered against the policies of an Emperor named Claudius II.
However, the connection between these three martyrs and the holiday of romantic love is unclear. Even Pope Gelasius I, in 496, stated that nothing really is known about these martyrs but that February 14 was designated as the feast day of Saint Valentine. Some say that Pope Gelasius I deliberately set this to precede the holiday of Lupercalia which is celebrated on February 15th.
Regardless of the legend of the connection between Saint Valentine and the Lupercalia Festival, Valentine’s Day itself is a celebration or culture that is carried out by many countries, including Indonesia. Over time this culture began to change and this tradition was replaced only by expressing affection when Valentine’s Day arrived.
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