Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Do couples need to celebrate Valentine's Day?



"Ang Valentine's Day ang panahon ng pagbibigay ng walang kwentang mga regalo pero sweet." A junior jock was saying on a radio when I opened it last night. True enough, from flowers to chocolates, these usual gifts given every Valentines won't last. Flowers would soon dried up and chocolates would soon be flushed. And so why celebrate?

Celebrating Valentine's Day has been a usual act for couples. It is a special time for them to show their love for each other. For some, Valentine's Day means another year of love to celebrate. Girls would always look ahead to this special event and want it to be sweeter, memorable and special. However, there are people (mostly guys) who don’t look at this as something that should be celebrated. For them, you can always show your love anytime and any season. Celebration is not a must, however most people find it sweet and romantic to celebrate on that day. For me, celebration is not really needed but of course, being a woman, I can’t say that I don’t want to celebrate important occasions like that. As what they say, only once a year Valentines arrive.

Well, the origins of Valentine's Day trace back to the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia. Held on February 15, Lupercalia honored the gods Lupercus and Faunus, as well as the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. In addition to a bountiful feast, Lupercalia festivities are alleged to have included the pairing of young women and men. Men would draw women's names from a box, and each couple would be paired until next year's celebration.

While this pairing of couples set the tone for today's holiday, it wasn't called "Valentine's Day" until a priest named Valentine came along. Valentine, a romantic at heart, disobeyed Emperor Claudius II's verdict that soldiers remain bachelors. Claudius handed down this decree believing that soldiers would be distracted and unable to concentrate on fighting if they were married or engaged. Valentine defied the emperor and secretly performed marriage ceremonies. As a result of his defiance, Valentine was put to death on February 14.

After Valentine's death, he was named a saint. As Christianity spread through Rome, the priests moved Lupercalia from February 15 to February 14 and renamed it St. Valentine's Day to honor Saint Valentine. Since then, February 14 has been given to couples and people who are in a special relationship.

After reading the romantic and sacrificial story of Valentine, indeed, sweetness is famous every Valentine's Day. You can do simple things and yet, sweet. You can give little effort and yet, made someone feel special. You don't need to buy an expensive jewelry or date your partner in a fine dining restaurant. Because at the end of the day, it's the memory that matters not those gifts. And you can always show to your loved ones how much they meant to you even if it’s not Valentines. Ultimately, it's neither the gifts nor the celebration that matters; it's the love you give. After all, Valentines is about love and romance. Have a happy Valentine's.


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