By Emmanuel Gandu
February 14 every year is the day when lovers express their affection by way of togetherness, gifts, greetings, love, dating, and prayers.
Valentine was a Catholic priest who was said to have secretly presided over the joining of lover couples in marriage in order to spare them from going to fight in the war front.
This action by this priest was in total violation of the orders by the then Roman Emperor Claudius II Gothicus.
This violation forced the emperor to order the killing of Valentine the priest.
By this martyrdom, Valentine was later canonised a saint by the Catholic Church.
HISTORY OF ORIGIN
History has it that the Valentine phenomenon and holiday has origins in the Roman Festival of Lupercalia held in Mid-February.
This Lupercalia festival celebrated the coming of spring.
It also included the conduct of fertility rites, and the pairing off of women with men by lottery.
This Lupercalia was not only highly embraced, but became a cultural festival by the Romans.
At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I forbid the celebration of Lupercalia and subsequently replaced it with St. Valentine Day.
The Pope’s intention was not to abrogate this festival but to allow the people to continue to savour the same feast but with a Christian face.
VALENTINE CELEBRATION AND
SECULARISM
Valentine’s day did not really come to be celebrated as a day of romance per ce not until about the 14th century that it began to attract that level of pomp and pageantry associated with the kinds of both positive and negative notoriety and festivities witnessed today.
Interestingly and curiously too, the frenzy associated with the day marking St. Valentine may be said to have robbed the shine off the religious observance intended by the Church.
Little wonder Valentine has now assumed a secular perspective.
THE POSITIVITY IN VALENTINE’S DAY CELEBRATION
This fever called Valentine’s day has not only affected but engulfed not only Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Jews, traditional Religious worshipers, and even non believers.
Both the young and old are crazy about this day.
Today all over the world, to say that the Valentine celebration has assumed a carnival outlook is an understatement.
This day is also and highly looked up to as a lucrative commercial celebration where many cash in on the euphoria to keep smiling to the banks.
CONCLUSION
The secular perspective, the monetary/financial gains, the drifting away from the religious perspective, and the acceptance of the Valentine’s day celebration by both Christian and Muslim adherents to come together in a celebration mood etc are all positives in this our polarized society called Nigeria.
It therefore remains to be seen whether and how the Church will attempt to get engaged, adjust or address these contemporary exigencies; and also if the government will cease this opportunity to mount programmes that will tilt towards national unity for the continued survival of our country Nigeria.
Happy Valentine, and please observe COVID 19 protocols including social distancing + use of Face mask.
Peace 🙏
