Published in Issue 20, December 2012
Written by Tracey from WowThankYou
The Power Of Love
With St Valentine’s Day upon us again what do you know about this very famous saint? Was he a great lover? Was he nice to his mother? Or did he suffer from a serious case of unrequited love? Here I will briefly examine what lies behind this day where love and romance take precedence and cards, chocolates and flowers fly off the shelves to help declare love everlasting.
St Valentine's Day, which is more accurately described as the Feast of Saint Valentine, is a saint’s day observed each year on February 14. Today Valentine's Day is celebrated in the majority of ‘westernised’ countries around the world, although it is not normally a day off. This festive day began as a church celebration of around three early Christian saints all named Valentinus. The most popular story associated with Saint Valentine was that he was confined for performing weddings for soldiers, who were forbidden to marry by the Emperor Claudius, and for spiritual ministration to Christians who were victimised under the ruling Roman Empire. During Valentinus’ imprisonment he is said to have cured the daughter of his jailer, Asterius, of blindness and just before his execution he wrote "from your Valentine" as a farewell to her. In addition, as a true Christian, Valentinus was constantly converting pagan Romans to Christianity and as a result not making himself too popular with the Emperor. Valentinus was said to have cut hearts out of parchment and used these as a secret symbol for the converted who wanted to listen to his lessons and get married. There is therefore some evidence to connect Valentinus to the modern symbology of the St Valentine’s Day celebration and also the endurance of love and romance.
Officially St Valentine’s Day was first associated with the concept of romantic love by Geoffrey Chaucer in the Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which love was expressed by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greetings. Valentine's Day symbols still used today include the heart, doves, and the winged Cupid. Since the Victorian age handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards. Now St Valentine’s Day is a big money spinner and a welcome halfway point between Christmas and Easter for retailers. St Valentine’s Day 2013 will hopefully provide some respite for the restaurant trade as well as florists and chocolatiers.
For your valentine this year, why not make it extra special with something personalised and unique? It’ll be worth it ;)
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