Valentine’s Day
Katie Drewry
February has always been meant for Valentine’s Day.
It seems that the second after the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, pharmacies and surplus stores start stocking up on heart shaped candies and pink and red cards.
196 million roses are manufactured for Valentine’s Day and 144 million cards are given (and that’s not including those cute cards with kittens or butterflies on them that elementary school kids exchange.)
It’s statistics like these along with the hours’ worth of Romantic Comedy marathons on Lifetime that help the many anti-Valentine’s Day supporter’s out there.
A “Hallmark Holiday” is a name used to describe holidays that are believed that exist solely for the purpose of merchandise sales.
But long ago, the holiday meant more than just feel good movies and Russell Stover samplers.
The whole thing began in the 3rd century. A man named Valentinus was locked up for his Catholic beliefs. According to legend, he performed a miracle while he was locked up. The jailor had a blind daughter and Valentinus gave her sight.
The night before Valentinus was supposed to die; he wrote the girl a love letter which he signed “From your Valentine.”
That sentence sounds pretty familiar right? Valentinus died the next day, February 14th.
In the 5th century, the 14th of February was the day of worship for the Roman goddess of love and beauty, Juno. On this day each year, men would pick woman who they would court for marriage.
In 498 Valentine’s Day became an official holiday in Rome. It would not be until 1849 that the holiday would come to America.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is celebrated all over the world, including Latin America, Japan and parts of Asia.
Valentine’s Day is celebrated by many different people, in many different places, all of which have different views and ideas on the holiday. But wherever you go, the meaning is still the same; a day set aside to show the ones you care about how much they mean to you.
