History of Valentine's Day Celebration/History of Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also known as Lover's Day, is celebrated all over the world on Feb 14 every year. This Day has its origins in the ancient Roman empire. It is celebrated in honor of St. Valentine who was said to have executed by Emperor Claudius for aiding young lovers to get married.
History Of Valentine's Day
There are various myths surrounding the origins of Valentine's Day, which is being observed on the 14th of February. It is believed that this tradition was started in the Roman Empire. One legend credits the observance of the day with St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for his refusal to give up Christianity. He died on 14th February, 269 A.D. He left a note to the jailer's daughter, who became his friend, signed "from your Valentine". It is also said that St. Valentine was a priest during the reign of Emperor Claudius, who sent him to jail for defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius earmarked February 14 in honor of St. Valentine.
According to another legend, Valentine's Day is connected to the Roman festival of Lupercalia. In the Ancient Rome February 14 was a holiday to honor Juno, the queen of Roman gods and goddesses. She was considered as the goddess of women and marriage. February 15 was the Roman festival of Lupercalia, the eve of which was marked by the custom of name drawing by young people. The names of girls were written on a paper slip and put into a container. Young men will choose their partners for the festival by drawing names from the container. The partnership may sometimes last an entire, and sometimes ended in marriage.
When Claudius II was the Roman Emperror, Rome had witnessed many bloody campaigns, and he was known as Claudius the Cruel. People were terrified of him. Young people refused to join his military, because they loved to be with their families. So Claudius canceled marrriages and engagements in Rome. Valentine was a priest during this time, and he used to help young people get married secretly. He was jailed and tortured for this, and was brutally executed on 14th February around 270. This day was set side in his honor, and was later known as Valentines Day. As years went by, February 14 became the date for exchanging love messages and gifts. In the West, Valentine is known as the patron saint of lovers.
In the consumerist society of today, markets are flooded with various types of cards and mementos for young people to commemorate this Day. For corporate houses, this Day offers a great opportunity to make money by marketing related memorabilia. Booming television industry and internet sites have played a key role in popularizing this Day, which was earlier restricted to Western societies.
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