Valentine's Day 2022: How did the day become associated with love?

February 14, commonly known as Valentine’s day, or the main day of love brings to an end the eight-day Valentine's week, which begins with Rose Day on February 7.

Valentine’s Day has been dedicated to lovers since the 14th century. It is a festival of romantic love and this day was observed by young men and women by sending messages and gifts to their lovers. People commonly used the motif of a red heart.

Lets' look at how the day came to be:

History

According to legend, the day is celebrated to mark the death anniversary of Saint Valentine who died around this time of the year, in 270 AD.

St. Valentine’s Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian Saints named Valentines. There were two prominent martyrs whose feasts were celebrated on February 14th. One was a priest who died in Rome and the other, the Christian Bishop, St. Valentine of Terni. They seemed to have died on the same day and to have been buried at different places along the Flaminian Way.

The most popular martyrology was associated with Saint Valentine who was said to have been imprisoned for performing weddings of soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. During his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer. Legend states that before his execution he wrote a letter signed “Your Valentine” as a farewell.

How did the day become associated with romance?

The celebration of St. Valentine did not have any romantic connection until Geoffrey Chaucer’s poetry about Valentines in the 14th century. Popular modern sources claim links to unspecified Greco-Roman February holidays alleged to be devoted to fertility and love to St. Valentine’s Day.

Prior to Chaucer in the 14th century, there were no links between the Saint named Valentine and romantic love.

The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionary and sending greeting cards known as “Valentines”.

Celebrations

Saint Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many countries all over the world. In India some section of the traditionalists have considered the Valentine’s Day to be cultural contamination from the West. Despite the protests, Saint Valentine’s Day is becoming increasingly popular in India and the bond of love and affection will eternally remain amongst all.

Published on: Sunday, February 13, 2022, 01:05 PM IST