Saint Valentine’s Day. It’s the quintessential holiday we all love to hate or hate to love. But what about the love? Where does the romantic holiday come from? Is it worth all of the time, money and stress associated with it? A dynamic duo of satirical investigative journalists will delve into both the history of the hankering holiday and the misery of modern relationships
Since Rome is to blame for a good few of our problems, such as highways, fast food restaurants and, ironically, the newspaper, it seems only fitting that the greatest, worst holiday ever came from, you guessed it, Rome. Within Catholic tradition, there are three different with the name Valentine or a form of it. All are martyred, which means they were killed for their beliefs. The most commonly accepted tale of St. Valentine is that of secret marriage. Under the rule of Claudius II, marriage was outlawed for young men because Claudius believed that single men were better soldiers. Valentine, ever the romantic, performed secret marriages for couples, directly defying Claudius’ rule. Eventually, the loveless emperor found out and had Valentine put to death, hence the martyrdom. This is one legend of many based around Valentine’s heroic actions regarding love, but another origin story comes from the Christians. In a dramatic attempt to reverse the dreadful effects of the Pagan holiday Lupercal, Christians claimed the Ides of February for their own with the Feast of St. Valentine. Eventually, Lupercal was outlawed and deemed ‘un-Christian’ on account of the Pagan roots, and all that was left of the February festivities was St. Valentine’s day as we know it.
Modern day Valentine’s day has turned into a capitalist holiday that allows stores to raise prices on various “romantic” gift choices. Don’t get me wrong, I love the opportunity to shower those you love in affection, but stores have taken it too far. Even commercials these days pressure people into buying expensive and, in some cases, absolutely useless gifts.
Not only do these commercials and ads cause you to spend more money than you should on gifts, they also reinforce gender stereotypes. Many of the commercials that play around February 14 are aimed at men who are “last-minute” gift shopping. They usually showcase some kind of jewelry or roses. Why do companies keep saying that men are forgetful? Why do we keep reinforcing the stereotype that men forget everything and wait until the last minute to do everything. This is obviously untrue, so, stores everywhere, please don’t do this.
Now, as a person in a relationship currently, I think the argument that we should love our loved ones all the time is invalid. I love my parents, my family, my friends and my significant other all the time, but I enjoy the chance to show them how much I care a little more on a special day.
Overall, Valentine’s Day showcases the whole concept of a consumer holiday with exuberant spending and gender discrimination, but its heart is in the right place, if you will. St. Valentine gave us one beautiful day to show our loved ones how much we care by forcing them into hyperglycemia. Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!