Valentine ’s Day is a beautiful day to celebrate loved and your loved ones. It is one of the most celebrated events all around the world, regardless of culture, background and nationality. This special occasion falls on 14th of February. The celebration of the day interestingly does not correlate with its sad history. 14th February was the day when St.
Valentine was martyred. It’s in his memory that we celebrate a day dedicated to this pure emotion, i.e. love. History tells us that during the reign of Roman Empire, the emperor Claudius the second, decided to ban marriage for young men, as he believed that single men performed better in army. St. Valentine rebelled against him, and silently kept performing marriage ceremonies for young couples. Once he was caught by the administration, he was sentenced to death, and finally St.Valentine died on 14th February, 269AD, under the order of Claudius.
Another legend that branches from it is that St.Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter during his time in jail and she would often visit him during period. In the whole affair, a love letter was written by him whom he signed off with words, “from your valentine”. This became such a popular expression, that it not only found a place in dictionary, but love found a synonym of itself.
With the advent of modern era, Valentine’s day is becoming an important celebration even for cultures which did not inherit it. A country such as India has a growing inclination towards celebrating love in such a public manner. For the most part, it’s restricted to youth in this country, unlike many other countries, but maybe it’s a sign of the gradually increasing social acceptance of the freedom that love deserves. Valentine’s Day is celebrated the same way as Eid, diwali or any other religious or social event.
Companies launch gift packages, greeting cards, stuffed toys, and restaurants offer discounts and couple exclusives for this occasion. This resounds the martyrdom of St.Valentine itself, that it wasn’t in vain, and that it made the world learn the importance of the expression of love.
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