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VALENTINE’S DAY
Essentially, sending secretive messages of love on February the 14th has become a highly anticipated tradition, and financially lucrative to merchandizers.
It was originally a pagan festival in Roman times, and certainly did not reflect love and kindness, nor “candy and cupids” as we would view this holiday in modern times.
According to history, from the 13th through to the 15th of February, Roman males were wild and crazy; sacrificed animals and whipped women to make them more fertile, hardly in tune with romanticism.
To add to this, a matchmaking lottery would be created in order that men could draw women’s names out of a jar.
As the years progressed, the occasion became “sweeter” as literature reveals the first handmade paper cards became available with messages of admiration.
One could say this was the birth of a massive industry, as witnessed today, raking in around 18 billion US dollars annually.
Valentine celebrations are forbidden in Islamic countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, and so on being a cultural threat.
Strangely Russia bans it too as it goes against cultural traditions. The Chinese Valentine’s day is celebrated according to the lunar calendar as are many of their others.
Generally speaking, the secrecy of the card perhaps acts as a shield for being rejected, is a most damaging and degrading emotion, yet the mystery of the sender can boost one’s morale enormously yet leaves both persons in a state of limbo, all the more exciting!
In conclusion, a biblical passage states “The three that remain are faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love!”
