Monday, February 4, 2013

Valentine Day to show your love, why?



This post is related to Valentine Day celebration which is catching the nerves of the younger generations.




Valentine Day is a new concept for the eastern part of the globe whereas in the western hemisphere of the globe this day has been haunting the people for last many centuries.

14 February is the day which has been declared to be the day for lover? I think that every day is to promote love then why there is a need to assign a particular day. Though the word love has made this the most celebrated day of calendar after the New Year’s Day but how it all happened is to be understood.

History about Valentine Day

It is related to the early Christian saint named Valentinus. The story behind this celebration is that St Valentinus was performing the marriages of the soldiers who were forbidden to marry, as they were prosecuted under the Roman Empire. Roman Emperor Claudius II had forbidden his soldiers to marry believing that married men cannot make good soldiers. St Valentinus having the healing powers healed the daughter (Julia) of the jailer Asterius and according to the legend he had written a farewell to her ‘from your Valentine’ just before his execution. Julia was blind who lived in the family of 42 members–family consisting of family members and servants–generated believe in Jesus and was baptized.

The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates the Saint Valentine’s Day on 6th July and 30th July, in honour to the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine and the later in the honour of Hieromartyr Valentine.

It was in the 15th century that this day was celebrated as the lover’s day. This day is celebrated with the symbols of heart, cupid, doves, etc.

Valentine's Day first ever association with romantic love is in Parlement of Foules (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer wrote:
For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.
["For this was on Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate."]
On the honour of the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia this poem was written.

Valentine's Day is also mentioned Ophelia in Hamlet (1600–1601):
To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.
—William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5

Reason why Valentine Day is only for love?

It is said the love is important thus why Valentine Day is assigned to love? We all are here in this world to love and spread peace in this world. No one has the power to assign a particular day to love. Does anyone tell you to love your parents, wife, etc on a particular day? It is human nature to love and to express love as per his / her sweet will. We should follow our rule of life that we can propose to our lover on any day be it Sunday or Monday or any month of the year. To love is to love forever and any time of the year.

I am not against Valentine Day’s celebrations but I am against the assigning of days like Labour Day, Women Day, Mother’s Day, etc and unnecessarily making division among ourselves. Love is supreme and all the time love is everlasting.

An Urdu poet Nida Fazli has written a couplet:
Saato din bhagwan ke, kya mangal kya peer;
Jis din sooe dar tak, bhookha rahe faqir…

[All the day are made by God, be it Tuesday or Monday;
The day beggar wakes up late, has to remain hungry]

It is animals who have seasons for love and mating, we as humans are superior and thus we don't have to have particular days for love or disclosing our love.

2 comments:

  1. A very good description about love but if people are wishing someone on this day and when sometimes they got courage to speak to him/her on this specific day is this bad?
    I think we can celebrate love on this day and prolong this thing in remaining days of the year too. But its goodness is that feel that someone wishing us at this specific day...keeping aside all the debates of culture and religion.

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  2. When you really love someone you don't even have to say it,
    It is obvious from ones actions and behaviour towards the loved one that you love them, just by celebrating one day out of 365 days in a year by giving flowers, chocolates and card is more like following a trend or a custom just for the sake of it,rather then expressing ones feelings.....

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