St Valentine is a priest from
Rome who was arrested after secretly marrying Christian couples who were being
persecuted by Emperor Claudius II in the third century AD. Helping Christians
was considered a crime as at that time and so, St Valentine was imprisoned and
was later condemned to death while in jail for attempting to convert the
emperor to Christianity. He was beheaded after being beaten with stones and
clubs outside the Flaminian Gate.
According to a legend story, St
Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter while in prison and he once
sent her a love letter on February 14, the day of his execution, to bid her
goodbye – a letter which he autographed ‘from your Valentine’.
The feast of St Valentine of
February 14 was first established in 496 by Pope Gelasius I in order to
celebrate St Valentine and remember his acts of love known and unknown; from
then, Valentine's Day became a commercialized event and the church decided that
February 14 shall be an annual event to honour St Valentine.
Today, Valentine’s Day has metamorphosed
into a celebration of vanity. Many people, especially people of Africa have
become so obsessed about Valentine’s Day that those who respect it for what it
is meant for have become confused about the reason for the celebration. From
the look of things, Valentine’s Day might become a tale of Sodom and Gomorrah
in future.
It is not wrong that Valentine’s
Day has become a funfair event, but it will be more fun if the funfair of
Valentine’s Day is left strictly for married couples and those engaged to be
married. On my way back home from work this year’s Valentine’s Day, I saw a
young woman dressed on red running towards Shoprite, her breasts sagging; she was dragging along a
child of about two years or less, who looked almost exhausted, as if the child was her
mate; just to catch up with one funfair going on at polo shopping mall or whatever – what madness?
The promiscuity and obsession
that now revolves around Valentine’s Day will rather mess up the psychological
and emotional well-being of young people – should we not rather play safe?
Written
by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi
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