In the Spirit of the Day...
There's an article I wrote for a publication almost a year back, which, though not a typical Valentine's Day message, does explore a lot of the folklore and stories behind this day. I thought it'll be right to post it here today (with a few subtle changes), in the spirit of the day! Whether you believe in celebrating this one day of love, or celebrating love the year round, examining the legends behind such a celebration can be quite a warming experience. Here goes then... !!!
Valentine’s Day
February 14th – The day that sets young hearts and the ‘not-so-young’ hearts aflutter with a gazillion emotions coursing through them!!! The month of February has become synonymous with romance, love and all things ‘bright and beautiful’…and not to forget, mushy!!! What better time to whisper sweet nothings into your loved one’s ear than when the new year has just blossomed into the second month of its existence!
Legends – The history behind this universal day of love and its patron saint, St. Valentine, are both shrouded in a seemingly unfathomable fog of mystery. However, legends about St. Valentine abound aplenty. Going by the folklore, Valentine was a priest who lived in Rome in the 3rd century. Emperor Claudius II, ruled Rome during that era. He came up with an interesting, albeit horrifying decision. The emperor believed, and rightly so, that the soldiers who were not married, who did not have wives and children back home awaiting their return were better suited to war than the ones who had a family to think of. He therefore decreed that the young soldiers in his troop were not to tie the knot! This created quite a panic and the soldiers were aghast at this cruel decision. Legend has it that Valentine was totally against this injustice meted out by the emperor. Valentine started secretly solemnizing the marriages of the young lovers. When the emperor came to know of this insolence, he ordered that Valentine be put to death.
Another legend has it that St. Valentine provided the means of escape to Christian prisoners trapped in Roman prisons. These prisoners were subjected to all kinds of inhuman torture practices in these jails. Valentine was jailed for his blasphemy. The story goes that he fell in love with the jailor’s daughter, and was also the first human being to send a valentine greeting card! He signed the card as ‘From your Valentine’; an expression that is used to this day by lovers sending cards to their valentines!
Neither the legends, nor the Catholic church, have been able to bring to light the mysterious St. Valentine. The Catholic church has 3 saints by the given name of Valentine or Valentinus! To complicate matters further, all of them were martyred! It sure looks like the identity of the genuine St. Valentine is going to be cloaked in a fog for some more time to come, if not forever!
Even though St. Valentine’s day started off as a Roman and Christian tradition, at this present date, almost all the countries if not all, celebrate February 14th as a day of romance and love with aplomb! As an aside, in India, some people in the arena of politics in particular, have raised objections to the celebration of this day, labeling it to be a Western creation that is against the Indian tradition and culture. In spite of such objections and obstacles, this day continues to be celebrated in India too.
Cupid – Any discussion on love and romance is incomplete without the mention of Cupid, the messenger of love! Cupid is believed to be a young, mischievous fellow, carrying a bag full of love arrows. Love arrows that he aims at people to instill and grow love in them! Quite a helpful tool, if you come to think of it! Just aim an arrow at your latest crush and watch him or her lay down their heart at your feet! Quite a thought, if I may say so myself!
As for St. Valentine, lots of stories are prevalent about Cupid also. In Greece, Cupid was called Eros, the son of Aphrodite, the renowned Goddess of love and beauty. In Rome, he was Cupid, the son of Venus. According to the legend, Cupid was keen on a beautiful woman called Psyche. Venus, being jealous of Psyche’s beauty, was not at all happy at this turn of events. However, Cupid married her and the two lovers lived in happy matrimony. Unfortunately, there was one glitch in their happiness. Psyche was an earthly being and was not allowed to look at Cupid’s face. Goaded on by her sisters, she committed the mistake of looking at Cupid, and as a result found herself in an open field. Psyche walked a little distance and came upon the temple of Venus. Venus, who did not like her, gave her a box and some tasks to complete, each one more difficult than the last. Venus told Psyche not to open the box she was carrying and to bring back the beauty of Prosperine, the wife of Pluto. Despite her best efforts, Psyche was unable to keep herself from opening the box. Soon, temptation got the better of her and she opened the box, only to fall into a deep slumber. When Cupid found her lying down in a motionless sleep, he forgave her and locked away her slumber in the box. Venus also forgave her.
Scene today – Though the legends and stories behind the celebration of the day of love and romance are captivating, very few of the celebrators today know the existence of such rich folklore. Gifts, cards and business form the crux of Valentine’s day today. The innumerable card companies that have sprung up in the recent past are proof of this. They cash in on the emotions of the people and offer promotional offers and bargains to further lure young lovers. Sadly, love, like all other things, has been reduced to big business.
On the brighter side however, if you are somebody’s valentine this season, you can rest assured that you will be showered with lovely gifts and cards. Today, the market offers a wide and breathtaking variety of gifts and cards to choose from. There are numerous items on display, catering to every budget and style.
Uh-oh! Are you telling me you have no valentine this year?!? Fear not! You can buy all the lovely things available in the shops for yourself! Come on, a little bit of extravagance has never harmed anyone! Moreover, it is not every day that you get to overindulge yourself! Also, lest you think otherwise, being your own valentine and buying gifts for yourself, is not passé; it is very much in and trendy!
As a parting shot, have my fellow Indians ever wondered why Children’s day (November 14th) comes exactly 9 months after Valentine’s day?!? Sure beats me! (wink! wink!)
If you are in love with the idea of love,
While the sun shines, make hay!
Pull up your boots and put on your gloves,
For, here, today, now; is Valentine’s day!!!
Valentine’s Day
February 14th – The day that sets young hearts and the ‘not-so-young’ hearts aflutter with a gazillion emotions coursing through them!!! The month of February has become synonymous with romance, love and all things ‘bright and beautiful’…and not to forget, mushy!!! What better time to whisper sweet nothings into your loved one’s ear than when the new year has just blossomed into the second month of its existence!
Legends – The history behind this universal day of love and its patron saint, St. Valentine, are both shrouded in a seemingly unfathomable fog of mystery. However, legends about St. Valentine abound aplenty. Going by the folklore, Valentine was a priest who lived in Rome in the 3rd century. Emperor Claudius II, ruled Rome during that era. He came up with an interesting, albeit horrifying decision. The emperor believed, and rightly so, that the soldiers who were not married, who did not have wives and children back home awaiting their return were better suited to war than the ones who had a family to think of. He therefore decreed that the young soldiers in his troop were not to tie the knot! This created quite a panic and the soldiers were aghast at this cruel decision. Legend has it that Valentine was totally against this injustice meted out by the emperor. Valentine started secretly solemnizing the marriages of the young lovers. When the emperor came to know of this insolence, he ordered that Valentine be put to death.
Another legend has it that St. Valentine provided the means of escape to Christian prisoners trapped in Roman prisons. These prisoners were subjected to all kinds of inhuman torture practices in these jails. Valentine was jailed for his blasphemy. The story goes that he fell in love with the jailor’s daughter, and was also the first human being to send a valentine greeting card! He signed the card as ‘From your Valentine’; an expression that is used to this day by lovers sending cards to their valentines!
Neither the legends, nor the Catholic church, have been able to bring to light the mysterious St. Valentine. The Catholic church has 3 saints by the given name of Valentine or Valentinus! To complicate matters further, all of them were martyred! It sure looks like the identity of the genuine St. Valentine is going to be cloaked in a fog for some more time to come, if not forever!
Even though St. Valentine’s day started off as a Roman and Christian tradition, at this present date, almost all the countries if not all, celebrate February 14th as a day of romance and love with aplomb! As an aside, in India, some people in the arena of politics in particular, have raised objections to the celebration of this day, labeling it to be a Western creation that is against the Indian tradition and culture. In spite of such objections and obstacles, this day continues to be celebrated in India too.
Cupid – Any discussion on love and romance is incomplete without the mention of Cupid, the messenger of love! Cupid is believed to be a young, mischievous fellow, carrying a bag full of love arrows. Love arrows that he aims at people to instill and grow love in them! Quite a helpful tool, if you come to think of it! Just aim an arrow at your latest crush and watch him or her lay down their heart at your feet! Quite a thought, if I may say so myself!
As for St. Valentine, lots of stories are prevalent about Cupid also. In Greece, Cupid was called Eros, the son of Aphrodite, the renowned Goddess of love and beauty. In Rome, he was Cupid, the son of Venus. According to the legend, Cupid was keen on a beautiful woman called Psyche. Venus, being jealous of Psyche’s beauty, was not at all happy at this turn of events. However, Cupid married her and the two lovers lived in happy matrimony. Unfortunately, there was one glitch in their happiness. Psyche was an earthly being and was not allowed to look at Cupid’s face. Goaded on by her sisters, she committed the mistake of looking at Cupid, and as a result found herself in an open field. Psyche walked a little distance and came upon the temple of Venus. Venus, who did not like her, gave her a box and some tasks to complete, each one more difficult than the last. Venus told Psyche not to open the box she was carrying and to bring back the beauty of Prosperine, the wife of Pluto. Despite her best efforts, Psyche was unable to keep herself from opening the box. Soon, temptation got the better of her and she opened the box, only to fall into a deep slumber. When Cupid found her lying down in a motionless sleep, he forgave her and locked away her slumber in the box. Venus also forgave her.
Scene today – Though the legends and stories behind the celebration of the day of love and romance are captivating, very few of the celebrators today know the existence of such rich folklore. Gifts, cards and business form the crux of Valentine’s day today. The innumerable card companies that have sprung up in the recent past are proof of this. They cash in on the emotions of the people and offer promotional offers and bargains to further lure young lovers. Sadly, love, like all other things, has been reduced to big business.
On the brighter side however, if you are somebody’s valentine this season, you can rest assured that you will be showered with lovely gifts and cards. Today, the market offers a wide and breathtaking variety of gifts and cards to choose from. There are numerous items on display, catering to every budget and style.
Uh-oh! Are you telling me you have no valentine this year?!? Fear not! You can buy all the lovely things available in the shops for yourself! Come on, a little bit of extravagance has never harmed anyone! Moreover, it is not every day that you get to overindulge yourself! Also, lest you think otherwise, being your own valentine and buying gifts for yourself, is not passé; it is very much in and trendy!
As a parting shot, have my fellow Indians ever wondered why Children’s day (November 14th) comes exactly 9 months after Valentine’s day?!? Sure beats me! (wink! wink!)
If you are in love with the idea of love,
While the sun shines, make hay!
Pull up your boots and put on your gloves,
For, here, today, now; is Valentine’s day!!!
Pic Courtesy: Google
posted by supernova at 9:17 AM
12 Comments:
great post..one of your best!!
{a}
Thanks... Though I wonder whether the stories behind the day will interest many!
got to know a lot more about feb14th..:)
gud one
Thanks, gops! Glad you enjoyed it!
u r absolutely rite abt ur reply to the comment by {a}
*yawn* :)
Does that mean we will get some news from you on Nov 14th?
You could have skipped reading it, dharmabum!
How, big b?!? By way of storks? :-)
i did na...jus skimmed thru it, and hit the comment button straight away, for i couldn't resist my urge to poke a finger...*grin*
no offense meant though - jus some harmless fun. hope u really didn't mind :)
Nah, I didn't!
Ha! This Children's Day comment made me laugh!!
Hehe, it sure is funny, ain't it!?!
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