Valentine's Day

Love: The true mystery of humankind. It seems reasonable that we would have a day celebrating this intangible necessity. But how was this day first started? One would assume that whoever this "Valentine" guy was was in love with or loved by someone. How have such commonplace Valentine gifts as chocolate, flowers, and valentine-cards come into prominence? Let's find out!

The day's origins come from the late 5th century AD. Originally, the holiday was meant in celebration of several Christian martyrs, or those who stood up for their religious beliefs even when faced with opposition. It seems odd that the holiday, as we know it now, would be based on Christian martyrs. The original theme of the holiday was sacrifice, something which some might cite as a necessary part of love. Somehow, over the centuries, the day has been shaped into something completely different, something romantic.

The shift began with such authors as Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer wrote a poem in honor of the marriage of British monarchs. This poem included a line about the martyr Saint Valentine, and this was taken as a day for romance. Thus, February 14th became Valentine's day.

The holiday is now seen as one of the Hallmark Holidays. This is accurate seeing as most people buy cards for their significant others as a sign of their love. As far as my grasp of the holiday goes, I have pretty much only celebrated it in elementary school where I bought valentines for EVERYONE and tried not to play favorites. I had no childhood crushes, and I therefore did not single anyone out with special lovely cards or candies. I bring this up only because I saw the new movie Valentine's Day starring many Hollywood celebrities. In the movie a young boy has a crush on a girl and buys her an elaborate bouquet of roses. I don't know if my classmates ever experienced this, but I know I never did. I never even thought of anyone in that way. But I am a weirdo. I don't know.