A take on the origins of Valentine's Day from holidays.net:
"The first Valentinus, Valentine of Rome, was a priest and doctor, who treated even those patients who could not afford to pay him. The second Saint Valentine was beheaded for protecting Christians from the Romans. And the third is Valentine of Terni, a bishop believed killed during the persecution of Emperor Aurelian.
While these saints likely bestowed upon Valentines Day its name, they still do not explain the holiday's love connection. To understand that, one has to go back even further in history - to the Romans.
Historians believe that the holiday of love derives its origins from the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia. On February 15, the Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercus, to honor and thank the wolf god who watched over the Roman shepherds and their flocks.
While Lupercus doesn't seem to have much to do with romance, there was a number of fertility customs associated with his feast. In one of these rituals, women would put their names on slips of paper in a box, to be drawn out by men. The two would then be coupled up for the duration of the festival - or for the rest of the year in some cases. This fertility-friendly feast gives some clue as to the romantic - or at least procreative - nature of the holiday. But we don't celebrate Saint Lupercus Day on February 14th. So, how did the Valentine saints become associated with the Roman god?
Legend has it that in the 3rd century, the Roman emperor Claudius II banned marriages to prevent draft dodgers. Only single men had to go into the army - and too many young men were getting married.
A Christian priest named Valentinus of Rome ignored the ban, continuing to officiate marriages in secret. Valentinus was caught and sentenced to death - an order carried out on February 14. Another story tells of a priest named Valentinus who was jailed and later executed for helping Christians. He fell for his jailer's daughter and sent her plaintiff love notes signed "from your Valentine".
In the late 5th century, Emperor Gelasius declared February 14th a holy day in honor of Valentinus (probably the first, but perhaps the second), allowing Christianity to adopt some of the love day customs previously associated with paganism.
The traditions were reworked, however, to honor the Christian martyrs. For example, instead of boys pulling girls' names from boxes, both boys and girls chose names of martyred saints to emulate for the year.
It took nearly nine centuries, until the advent of the Renaissance, for Valentines Day to return to its earlier love-based roots. With Romantic art, poetry and music flourishing, the time was ripe for a celebration of love."
This doesn't really explain why Valentine's Day has turned into a commercial holiday mainly for women, tho. All the commercials show that it's a day the man goes out and spends money on either diamond jewelry, chocolates, balloons, flowers, or a combination of any or all them. I suppose one could assume that with the ancient pagan rites of fertility, there was a symblance and reverence for the feminine, and the carrying on of this tradition is what Valentine's Day is truly meant to be. However, there is already a day for that known as Ostara (Easter). Guess it just goes to show that pagans are more willing to spread the love? And before anyone gets upset over that last statement.. I am by no means a religious person, and can often be found spouting against any sort of organized institutional religious theories.
None-the-less.. Happy Valentine's Day to you all!
and darkness. the people who do not have a significant other end up alone and unhappy. while everyone else goes around 'in love' and rubs it in their face. then the people without a significant other ends up an emotional mess and turns to alcohol and drugs. so every year it repeats, and it eventually causes insanity. that is the way 'the others' live their lives on valentines day. did anybody ever think of them instead of theirselfs on valentines day?? I bet not. *sigh* Oh well, i know what it feels like.
