Opinion
Valentine’s Day: Love Shouldn’t Be Celebrated Only Today, It’s An Everyday Action
By Jamiu Ahmed
Valentine means a lot of different things to me.
First, from the history of Valentine, we all know it originated from the Roman empire to honor Saint Valentine.
Who is Saint Valentine?
There are many stories that wrap around while he’s been celebrated, which increased the mysteries behind it. The more different stories, the more confusion.
The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.
One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome.
When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men.
Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
Still others insist that it was Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, who was the true namesake of the holiday.
He, too, was beheaded by Claudius II outside Rome.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured.
Another story also mentioned that a Jailed Valentine that felled in Love with his Jailer’s Daughter that visited him prison and he wrote her a love letter before his death, he tagged the letter “from your Valentine”
Since dated then, the Romans have decided to set a day aside to honor St Val and show, love, greetings and gift to loved ones.
And you can see, the concept behind Valentine has been evolving with everyone invent their own meaning to it.
To me, Here in Nigeria, it has been bastardized into romance and sex carnival, instead of the original version from the Roman which is to show the act of love and kindness to loved ones.
According to the stories heard, Valentine was beheaded in the act of showing love and kindness to others and at verge of death he still didn’t denounce his and loose his stand.
I’m not against Val day celebration but, Love is beyond just one day celebration.
Love is an everyday celebration and it should be unconditional and appreciated.
Valentine should be beyond those romantic shenanigans between boyfriend and girlfriend, because love is like the air we breathe to live.
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