Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, it is impossible to ignore the added commercial hype that has come to surround Valentine’s Day.
We are now reminded in advertisements for weeks before the Big Day not to forget our loves ones, which has created a growing expectation for gifts and romance.
In the United States alone, the average spending for Valentine’s Day has increased every year, from $108 a person in 2013 to $131 in 2013, the last year that Wikipedia records are available.
Handwritten Valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards (about 190 million are sent each year), and are usually accompanied by some type of a token of affection, such as a bouquet of red roses.
It is doubtful that most people know the origins of the holiday or its icons of hearts, doves and a winged Cupid (the Greek god of desire, affection).
These symbols are believed to have first been used in the 14th Century circle of author and poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who encouraged lovers to express their feelings.
Originally known as “St. Valentine’s Day,” or the “Feast of St. Valentine,” the holiday was named after one or more early Christian martyrs and established by Pope Gelasius in 496 AD. Several martyrdom stories circulated for the various Valentines, including one of a priest who was imprisoned for performing clandestine weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry, and for ministering to Christians being persecuted by the Roman Empire.
According to legends, Valentine healed the blind daughter of his jailer, Asterius. A later embellishment to this story was that, before the saint’s execution, he wrote the jailer’s daughter a farewell letter signed “Your Valentine.”
The bishop of Interamna, who also had the last name Valentine, is said to have been martyred during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Aurelian.
The Catholic Encyclopedia also speaks of a third saint named Valentine who was supposedly martyred in Africa with a number of companions, but nothing more is known about him.
February 14 is celebrated as St. Valentine’s Day in various Christian denominations.
In 18th century England, the day evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for one another by presenting flowers, offering confectionery or greeting cards.
A character named “Jack” Valentine still knocks on the rear door of English houses to leave sweets and presents for children.
In Slovenia, St. Valentine, also known as “Zdravko” is regarded as the saint of good health and keeper of the bees and Feb. 14 marks the beginning of spring.
In some places in Europe, keys are given for St. Valentine’s gifts “as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver’s heart.”
If you are having difficulty deciding what gift will unlock your lover’s heart Sunday, heed a recent report by the Huffington Post about the worst presents that people had received from an ex-partner.
The list included a Brita water filter, ab roller, book titled “Love Isn’t Easy,” a crossword puzzle book, a gnome holding a soccer ball, vacuum cleaner, gym membership, soap/deodorant, teddy bear taped to boxed wine, a half-empty sample bottle of perfume and a package of Kraft cheese.
The ultimate bad gift was a text message requesting a divorce.
What today’s featured stories in the Chronicle demonstrate is that a successful relationship takes much more than a token of affection presented to a lover on Valentine’s Day.
A marriage or partnership that is going to span decades requires the willingness of both people to treat each other with kindness and respect.
Delmar and Louise Kendrick of The Dalles have been married almost 66 years and their story on Page A1 is not just about romance, it is an example of love in action.
— The Dalles Chronicle
Commented