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Saint Valentine's Day

It is the time of the roses and the chocolates once again.  It is the "season of love"; that one day in every year, where all lovers and friends go coucou finding gifts for their "Valentine".  It is also the time where the flower, chocolate and teddy bear merchants as well as hotels and motels owners and operators are on full grin!  It is the time where the prices of commodities associated with "love" go sky-high.

What really is this phenomenon that is Valentine's Day?  Read on...

Valentine's day is indeed a celebration of love.  It is, however, not the kind of love that we know now.  It is the celebration of the brand of love that is of Saint Valentine's.  So how is his love different from the love we know now, you ask?  Well, he did not sweep ladies off their feet.  He also did not go hotel or motel hopping, humping every thing that moved.  Of course the latter is a perverted representation, but it is just to make a point as to how the meaning of love then that is celebrated on this day is so different from the brand of love today.  On this day, roughly 1,750 years ago, Valentinus, the former Bishop of Terni in the city of Umbria (now known as Italy), has been stoned and clubbed -- and when it failed to kill him, was beheaded.

Now, i hope this post does not propel the prices of katana (samurai sword) to sky-rocket. Before you go out there and buy the sharpest one to celebrate Valentine's Day the old-fashioned way, please continue reading.

Why was Valentin beheaded?  He lived in a time of Emperor Claudius the Goth of Rome (Claudius II) - a time where Christianity is outlawed and the propagation of the teaching of Christianity, or just a simple act of helping a Christian, is considered a crime. He was caught marrying Christian couples and helping Christians from persecution under the rule of the Emperor.  He was arrested and imprisoned.

During that time, a learned man imprisoned is not confined in a cell.  He is given freedom to roam around and associate with other people, provided he operates within the allowed limits.  Being the learned man the he is, he was able to connect with people and even got in good terms with his jailer. 

According to some accounts, his jailer asked Valentin to educate the jailer's blind daughter, Julia.  He obliged and taught Julia the ways of the world.  She learned to see the world in the eyes of a Christian, she learned the power of prayers, and she believed in miracle.  Then one day, legend has it, through daily prayers coupled with the little girl's trust, Valentin cured her blindness and she was able to see the world in her own eyes.  This sealed the indoctrination and the rest of the jailer's family converted to Christianity.

He later tried to make a convert out of the Emperor, a move that proved fatal.  He failed, and he was convicted to die by stoning and beating of clubs.  According to legends, before the day of his execution, he left a farewell note to Julia, signed with "from your Valentine".  And so the receiving of love letters from "your Valentine" was born. This evolved into giving gifts and to arranging special dates and whatever ingeniously unique idea of professing love a person can think of.

Sad a story Saint Valentine's is, scriptures that would prove this legend have fallen victim to persecution.  However, historians believe that of all legends, this is one that is as close to reality as it can get. 

A sadder story however, is how the essense of Valentine's day was lost in time.  The Valentine's Day today celebrates "romantic love" but none of the celebrations commemorate "unconditional love" - one that overcomes persecution, one that endures pain, one that willingly puts others ahead of one's own self.  The commercialization of this sacred day is so evident that most advertisements you would see nowadays have even dropped the word "Saint" from the "Saint Valentine's Day".

I don't know if you have read my post about "New Year Resolutions".  If you haven't, i suggest you read it. I highly think that post is somewhat related to this.  I think "Valentine's Day" killed love.  Love should be celebrated every single day.  Every single day in love is a triumph vs individual differences. The modern day "Valentine's Day" promoted a culture of materialism, where love is measured by the value of the gift.  The more expensive the gift, the bigger the love.  I am sure there will be many who would rebut me and say, "It is not the value of the gift, but the thought and the effort that is involved in buying those expensive gifts that matters".  I would totally agree!   But here is a question to ponder on:  To a man on the street dying of hunger, what would matter more, a loaf of bread, or a sting of diamonds? 

I dunno about you, but if I were the man on the street, I would see the "loaf of bread" as love.  Of course you can opt for the string of diamonds instead.  You can always gather your remaining strength, go to a pawnshop and exchange that string of valuable stone for money and then you can buy many more loaves of bread!  That would make much more economic sense!!!!  But then again, what are the chances of you making it to the nearest pawnshop alive?  Much more, make it to the bakery after that?!  I think the bigger question here would be, how far is the nearest pawnshop and the nearest bakery, right?  Then you can make a more informed decision.

So before you go out there hunting for the next big gift, I urge you, please think about that man on the street dying of hunger and ask yourself if the gift you are about to pick would make a difference, or will it just make a statement. Go for the one that makes the difference because that is the one that really touches hearts.

P.S. If you get persecuted for the Valentine's gift you decided to choose, please do not use this post as your justification for being stingy.  This is my own rationalization.... fine, my own excuse.  Now go get your own and try to be creative!  Who knows, you might get away with it, if you are lucky!

Happy Saint Valentine's Day everyone!




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