Valentine’s Day: Real romance gone away
Saint Valentine’s Day, commonly known as Valentine’s Day, is an annual commemoration held on Feb. 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions, according to History.com.
The holiday has only become associated with romantic love since the 12th century, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. The thought of a medieval romance with fresh picked roses and handmade cards sounds so much more magical compared to what it is now. Today, you get a box of See’s candy and maybe flowers sent to your home or office, which is dull and hardly romantic.
When I was in elementary school, I couldn’t wait to pass out Valentine’s cards, sending candy grams, and having baby crushes. Now, instead of Valentine’s cards and candy, I have sweetheart themed cocktail parties, with champagne and decadent heart-shaped pink colored desserts. Even though I am single, I spend this holiday, normally meant for lovers, with friends and I couldn’t be happier. I am not one of those people to cry over the single life with a depressing mix of chocolates and tissues, watching some sappy movie. I found the real story of Valentine’s Day to be dark and interesting.
According to History.com, the Emperor of Rome believed that married men did not make for good soldiers, and that they should be single. The priest Valentine, however, secretly performed marriage ceremonies for the young men. When Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown in jail. On the evening before Valentine was to be executed, he would have written the first “Valentine” card himself, addressed to a young girl as his beloved, it was a note that read “from your Valentine.”
That is where the tradition of Valentine’s originated from, which is rather morbid if you think about it, and a sinister type of love.
“When he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars and he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun,” wrote William Shakespeare.
Star-crossed lovers is the epitome of love and Valentines day, even if you don’t have your Romeo or Juliet, surround your self with love, and he or she will come.