A night of romance, an over-commercialized hallmark holiday, frustrating hours of searching for that ìperfectî gift, or a lonesome night of veging out--these are just some of the images evoked on St. Valentineís Day. They represent typical American notions of what the holiday means. But does anyone really know the origin of St. Valentineís Day, or why we celebrate it?
In an attempt to get to the bottom of the matter, Generation conducted a poll that asked UB students what Valentineís Day meant to them, and how they were going to go about celebrating it.
Despite the financial burden, the majority of poll-takers thought that St. Valentineís Day was in fact a day to celebrate with the ones you love. ìI believe that Valentineís Day is a chance to celebrate romance. In this age, it is nice to take some time to enjoy your significant otherís company,î said senior Veronica Lamthe.
Though not all responses were as sincere, some students saw Valentineís Day as an opportunity to simply be lavished upon. ì[Itís] a free dinner with a red light special later that night,î said sophomore Andrea Sullivan.
Second in the running were those students who felt that Valentineís Day was a product of commercialism. ìV-day is a made up holiday, where they raise the prices on all flowers, cards, and candy to make money off of innocent people. Weíre not doing anything on V-day,î said seniors Jennifer Kuwik and Michael Stevens. According to the Greeting Card Association of America, Valentineís Day rates as the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, supporting the latter notion, while for many students, invalidating the holiday.
ìValentineís day means little to nothing to me," said freshman, Joe McHale. "I find it pointless and a product of commercialism. I will probably drink, more than likely beer.î
The last group of votes belonged to those students who felt that at one point, Valentineís Day symbolized something bigger. This meaning, however, had been forgotten over the years. ìValentineís Day is a slightly over-hyped holiday," said senior Mark Andrews. "It gives people a reason or excuse to do something on a specified date. People forget St. Valentine and where Valentineís Day originated, which makes it kind of pointless.î
The history of Valentineís Day, as well as its patron saint, is, in itself, indefinite. There are at least three different Saint Valentines who are recognized in the early Catholic records for the date of February 14th, all of whom died martyrs. One Valentine is described as a bishop of Interamna (modern Terni), while another is described as having suffered great hardships with a number of people in Africa.
The third, more familiar notion of Valentine though, contends that the would-be saint served as a priest during the third century in Rome under Claudius II. At a time when single military men were considered an invaluable resource to a strong army, Valentine dared to defy Emperor Claudiusí decree and married young lovers in secret. These actions, along with Valentineís efforts to aid in the escape of tortured Christians from Roman prisons, led to his apprehension and ultimate death.
While most versions of the legend end at Valentineís sentence of imprisonment, others lengthen it to include his sending of the first valentine to a young girl who visited him there, immortalizing the soon to be infamous words, ìfrom your Valentine.î On the 14th of February, around 270 AD, Valentine was put to death. In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius set aside February 14th to honor St. Valentine.
However ambiguous the derivation of St.Valentineís Day remains, it is clear the romantic figure of St. Valentine has come to symbolize a perceived need to, once a year, spend hordes of money on overpriced flower bouquets and little red boxes of chocolatesóand complain about it later. This, at the very least, we can be sure of.
