Valentine’s Day. Some think this holiday is a meaningless product of a capitalist society, pressuring consumers to buy things for their significant others with the hope of showing off “true love.” However, I just don’t think that’s the case. Maybe it’s my sweet tooth talking, but the idea of getting candy and sweets just for being nice sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
Of course, this holiday wasn’t always about giving the people you love Kit Kat bars and candy hearts. The history of this holiday stems from the death of a biblical figure named Valentine. One legend suggests that Valentine was a Roman priest in third century Rome. When the emperor of that time decided that men were better as soldiers than those with families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine defied the emperor’s decree and continued to perform marriages for people in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, the emperor put him to death.
This is just one of many stories in the Bible about a figure named Valentine. There was also a Valentine of Terni who was martyred, and even another Saint Valentine mentioned in the Catholic Encyclopedia cited under the date of February 14.
Who’s the “real” Valentine? Who’s to say? It’s interesting how time can shape something to become so different from its original place in history. Trust me, I’m not complaining about the fact that this holiday has shifted gears to to gushy cards and sweet treats.
As a hopeless romantic, I love Valentine’s Day. This holiday gives me the excuse to sit in my house, eat chocolate and watch “10 Things I Hate About You” all day long. Some may see that as pathetic, but honestly I wouldn’t rather be doing anything else but watch Heath Ledger fall in love with Julia Stiles time and time again. Valentine’s Day gives us all the chance to watch those people on screen and fall in love, an experience one can’t truly feel at any other time of year.
The best thing about Valentine’s Day is… the candy. I’m just kidding. It’s that it gives us the chance to express our appreciation for the people in our lives we love. Whether it be our friends, family or significant other, Valentine’s Day gives us the chance for us to prove our love to the most important people in our lives, and what’s more beautiful than that? It doesn’t have to be extravagant, just a card or something to show you care. Some may argue that we should be showing our love for these figures in our lives every day, and that’s true, but there’s something amazing about the fact that we have a whole day dedicated to love.
I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day filled with love, candy and bad rom-coms!
