Just as we are getting sick of the cold weather winter has to offer, February offers us a season of love with the celebration of Valentine’s Day. Every year this day rolls around, somewhere around Week 6, to remind us to appreciate the ones we love even though we may be up to our eyeballs in work for midterms. Drexel’s central location easily lends itself to a night out on the town with our loved ones, or if a night in is more your style then you can enjoy the romantic view of the city from the comfort of our warm homes across campus. Think back to the days of elementary school where many of us handed out Valentine’s Day cards, often more of a headache for our parents, and at such a young age we demanded to show our love to every single member of our class. Now, with the term in full swing and limited funds, we are lucky to squeeze in a quick date, let alone a card. Did you ever stop to think about where Valentine’s Day even started?
To all the Negative Nancys and Sour Sallys out there, the card companies and flower stores of the world did not create Valentine’s Day. The history of this heartfelt holiday however is nowhere near certain. Many debate about the actual origin of Valentine’s Day, the mystery just adding to the holiday’s charm.
The legend of Saint Valentine has its roots in the Roman Catholic Church, but they have three different saints known by the name of Valentine. One of my favorite stories is one of Valentine as a Roman priest during the third century. An emperor had decided that married men with families wouldn’t make very good soldiers so he decided that men could no longer get married. Men had to stay single to be strong soldiers and fight for the emperor. Valentine saw nothing but a tragedy from the emperor outlawing marriage. Valentine then began to perform marriages to accommodate the young lovers behind closed doors against the wishes of the emperor. Could you imagine falling in love and never being allowed to marry the one you love? Valentine saw the young love in the air and put his life on the line for the love of others.
Another legend is said that Valentine helped many Christians escape imprisonment. “From your Valentine” is a phrase many of us still use to sign our love letters. One story says that Valentine was a Christian who was in prison and fell in love with the daughter of his captor. When he would write her love letters it is said that the he signed “from your valentine.”
Valentine’s Day is a festival that dates back as far as 200 AD, one of the many ancient holidays we still celebrate today. No, there is no concrete history of Valentine’s Day but there are plenty of legends that you can choose to believe or not to believe. Whatever story you see fit, Valentine is a symbol of heroism and love that we still celebrate to this day.
Between the constant schoolwork and worry about co-op we lose touch with other things going on in the world. Whether it is keeping up with world news, or the lives of our friends and families, we all could use a little push in the right direction. It is so easy to get caught up in school and the future that we rarely take the time to appreciate the loved ones we have now. During this heartfelt time of year take the time to show those you love and value in life how much they really mean to you, sometimes a little gesture can go a long way. Happy Valentine’s Day!
*All information was taken from The History Channel.