Why do we celebrate 14 February Valentine's Day?

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how the word ‘Valentine’ had been used to refer to a love celebration when going against their parents’ wishes for marriage. However, recently, I have come across various articles that state that the meaning of Valentines has changed over time, and now instead, it was referred to as a wedding anniversary or a good luck ceremony (such as if you got lucky).

My favourite definition is one where the couple receives something valentine or honourable. The idea behind this isn’t new, but rather the fact that there are so many different types of valentines that were presented to those in love by then (and sadly still do today).

There are the traditional traditions where couples would be gifted a gift on Valentine’s day that symbolizes love: roses, chocolates, cakes, stuffed animals, fruits, and even cash or jewellery that the loved ones would give you. Many people believe it is these gifts that give their partner the love they desire. And some people argue that this gesture is symbolic of commitment. People may not have given up their feelings towards each other, however, it does mark the start of the relationship with a couple that is meant to grow and deepen in order to flourish as a team. It could also be argued that this is a sign of a healthy relationship between a couple, especially since having your heart set on someone is more common than most people realise.

Another way of celebrating Valentine’s is the card and gift giving and receiving process – the custom where the one getting presents writes a card or write a letter to the one he or she loves. This can be done either with pen or marker – both are good ways in which to keep track of what you said or wrote and who has read it. In an example, let us look at a scenario where a woman asks her husband to write a poem to his girlfriend; we could all read that poem aloud. When the woman finds out that it was written by a man she despises, the message could be very hurtful to her and she will feel cheated. There were times when people refused to write a poetry because they thought that in such cases, the person writing the poem was showing off or flouting their character. But nowadays, it is part of our culture.

Is there any valid reason why we shouldn't observe Valentine's?

Why should we ignore that we don’t like others? Because we feel bad and guilty. Most of our feelings towards others come down to jealousy, inferiority, insecurity and inferiority – all things that we feel bad about ourselves due to being in low mood, feeling like we aren’t good enough. And we know it’s easier to blame them for doing wrong than it is to accept that they mean well. We try to push them away from us and they run away – so we end up blaming or treating them like monsters.

The history of Valentine’s Day is pretty much the same across the world. Some believe it was started in Germany in 1223, while others say it began in France some 20 years later. In each case, it had special significance to its individual communities where the couple would share a meal and exchange small gifts at one’s side on Valentine’s Day. Even though Valentine’s Day wasn’t officially celebrated until the early 1900s, the history of romance dates back hundreds of years. Before the days of modern technology and social media. By the year 1665, the first recorded dating was conducted between two nobleman brothers, Sir Francis Bacon and Christopher Marcellus Pinchot; according to recent studies, the amount of couples meeting up for a secret night of passion in the New World was around 100 –000 in the mid 1600s. However, the last recorded date of engagement is 5 February 1769 when Mary Ann Radcliffe-Brown married John Wesley Smith in Worthy Park, near Edinburgh, Scotland. That particular gathering was organised by William Cavendish, the governor of the colony at the time, and marked the beginning of romantic unions.

If you have a relationship with someone or want to start a fresh path with them, I encourage you to try it out. You’ll feel better; you’ll enjoy yourself; you’ll get closer together and build confidence and trust with each other.