By Adedokun Seyi
Just as we celebrate the birth of a new born baby, people are ready to take Valentine to the highest pinnacle of rejoice. Over the years, we’ve been eating the fruit of which we know nothing or little of where it originated, and the gliding moment has paid us so much that we have never thought of more requisite other than sharing love. Just as some clergymen would place a ban on earring usage in the church in the name of holiness and being as you are until Christly ascension in the last day, we’ve accepted a date for the celebration of love. However, was love born or borne from an action? If it was born, it should not be theoretical in nature, It may be a material thing or a being itself. But love is borne out of expression- an expression which is in the otherwise angst. When we celebrate love in our modern day, we talk of the age or anyone still extant, which we do not need to focus on a personality.
In America, 2014 was a byspel of commercialization of Valentine. I’ve thought that if it is love, sharing should not be an exclusion, market price should not be egregious. What do you feel about the production of 196million roses? Every child of an age range of 6-10 exchanges 650 million cards with teachers, friends and family members according to a Bible study site and around 13 billion dollars was spent annually. The vestiges of superstition has not left our sight and we’ve claim to celebrate love and spend extra-dummily on things that has little or no value.
It is laughable as to the technique we have improvised in celebrating our so-called love in our modern world. It is augean is some part of the world and Christians have announced it as a time to celebrate love, precisely the Catholic Pope Gelasius. They have done well in remembering to visit the motherless babies home, giving to the needy(ies) and generally, at times, divorced couples are been united back. What about the young ones? Maybe it was because of the date that was picked to celebrate valentine- a day in which owls and doves began to mate according to ancient believe.
Lots of stories have been told concerning the subject of celebration and presumably because we are confused either to turn back or confront this day, we continue to wallow in its xenia. Today, those involved are not Christians alone, but everyone who deems it fit for celebration. Do not think this write up wants to brainwash or advise you, It only aims that you understand what you are into.
This celebration originated from a Roman festival known as Lupercalia. It was dedicated to Faunus, a Roman god of Agriculture and partly to honour lupa, a she-wolf who was believed to have nursed the infant orphans, Romulus and Remus. During this festival, Boys would draw names of Girls out from a box which made the pairs partners during the festival only, but might end up in marriage in future years. This festival was celebrated under the reign of Anthemius. This is not the bone of contention. That might be a childplay anyways. In the third century, a very hard, cruel and deadly King was recruiting soldiers, he had stopped marriage because he knew Roman men will not leave their loved ones behind. No one could stand up to confront him, but a man. He didn’t confront him directly, but helped in marrying soldiers clandestinely.
Around 269 to 270 AD, Claudius II, the emperor of the Roman empire had him imprisoned. Everyone has a feeling however, and if a man says he has never loved, I do not recommend a spiritual examination, but the need of more hormone to awaken his sense of humanity. Valentine was a simple Christian priest and had fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. What is the essence of living when you’ve developed a ordinary feeling of blankness for everyone. I’ve learnt that love is not defined by a state but by you. Without writing materials, he had ink filled in violet to write to the girl; “Your Valentine”. This made her to see again. It was the priests that ordained him a saint which we call St.Valentine’s day.
Read through the story above one more time and point out what is missing. Don’t you think idolization has crept in? Along with Valentine celebration, something is been offered to Faunus indirectly- worshipping a god, a non-existing god. Valentine refused to bow to a god which Claudius had told them to worship. But the string of execution of Valentine has attached anyone who fete this period. We are only basking after a mirage ad made a cloying sentimental speech about Valentine’s day. We are created not to serve other gods, but one, not with Cupid which is a god of desire ,son of Venus, goddess of erotic love and war god Mars. This piece does not aim to disuade anyone from celebrating love, but I believe it is what we have always been celebrating and with this anonymous coinage, let’s understand what we are celebrating, unless, we shall end up worshiping Faunus.
