Valentine’s Day: A Joyful Day or Should it Just go Away?

FBenjr123, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 

Valentine’s Day is coming up on Feb. 14 and has been celebrated as the quintessential day of romance since the 14th century. This raises a question: is it still relevant today? 

History of Valentine's Day 

http://interestingliterature.com/2014/02/13/the-literary-origins-of-valentines-day/, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Valentine’s Day itself is still shrouded in many mysteries. The only definitive fact about Valentine's Day is that it was used to commemorate Saint Valentine, as Valentine's Day's full name is Saint Valentine’s Day. The first big mystery is which Saint Valentine they are talking about since there are at least three saints named Valentine.  

According to History.com, the first Saint Valentine was a priest who held secret marriages for young people, even though the emperor at the time had outlawed young marriages. Saint Valentine continued to do marriages because he believed that the king's law was an injustice, but after the king found out about his actions, he had Valentine beheaded.  

The next thought story of Saint Valentine was that they had been killed for trying to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where Christians were often beaten and tortured. Valentine was thought to have written the first valentine himself after he had fallen in love with a girl who visited him during confinement. Before his death, he wrote a letter where it was signed, “From your Valentine,” which is something people still write on Valentine’s Day. 

Another story about Saint Valentine is that it is celebrated in mid-February to commemorate the death of Saint Valentine. The final story says the Christian church had celebrated St. Valentine’s feast day to help Christianize the Pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Lupercalia is a fertility festival that is dedicated to the Roman god of agriculture, Faunus. 

The first connection to Romance on Valentine’s Day first started showing up in the Middle Ages. The idea of romance on Feb. 14 was further pushed by the English and French belief that it was the start of the aviary mating season. Geoffrey Chaucer was an English poet, who is believed to be the first to record Valentine’s Day as a romantic celebration, with a poem he wrote called ”Parliament of Foules.” 

Students on Valentine’s Day

Valentine's Day is a day that couples view as the perfect day to show their love to their significant other, but for single people, it is a day of dread and depression. Or is it? Let us see the opinions of both singles and couples on campus.  

 “Honestly Valentine’s Day is irrelevant because it only matters if you are in a relationship,” junior Daniel Ramiscal said. 

“It is redundant, and Valentine's Day should not be celebrated, compared to Black History Month or Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month it holds no real value, " sophomore Nixon Chua said.

They both make a good point. It is true that Valentine’s does lose some of its value if you do not have a relationship, and since Valentine’s Day's mascot is Cupid, the Roman god of love and relationships, further pushes the idea that Valentine’s Day is only for couples. 

It is also true that when you compare Valentine’s Day to other major holidays it does not seem as important because it does not reach as many people as possible, nor does it signify or commemorate a major change in history like Black History Month.  

“Valentine's Day should still be celebrated, even before I had a boyfriend, I really liked Valentine’s Day because I would celebrate my friends and would give each other gifts,” sophomore Sunny Hewitt said. 

“Valentine's Day should still be celebrated, since it has been celebrated for so long, and there is no reason to stop. Even if the couples are disgusting your parents are still together and they could still celebrate,” sophomore Vanessa Maden said. 

When you think about it the way these two have, it does make sense for Valentine’s Day to still be celebrated. Even if you do not have a specific person to celebrate with you can still use the day to show your appreciation for your family and friends.  

Valentine’s Day has indeed been celebrated for an extended period so if we did stop celebrating it would have a major effect on the world. Another thing is that Valentine’s Day could only seem to matter at school but yes, many people outside of school celebrate it including your parents.  

“Valentine’s Day should still be celebrated, but I do not think that big companies should not use it for money, but overall, it is a good holiday," sophomore John Slama said. 

“Valentine’s Day is a good opportunity for people who have found someone to show their love for each other, just because some of us celebrate do not celebrate like the others we should not just stop celebrating Valentine’s Day,” sophomore Judah Cecil said. 

Slama and Cecil do make a good point about how Valentine’s Day is a good opportunity for people who have found each other to show their love, but it does not seem right for many major corporations to make money off the love of others because love is a sacred thing that should not be used for other people's gain.  

“Valentine’s Day is useless it really is just an excuse for gifts,” junior Jordan Smith stated.  

But another student has a different view on exchanging presents. 

“Valentine’s Day should be celebrated because it is my parents' anniversary, and it is cute so it can keep going on, I do not care,” sophomore Savannah White said. “People at school should not show too much affection at school during Valentine's Day.”  

If people do not have a strong love for the other person, then Valentine’s Day is nothing more than an exchange of gifts.  

Though White talks about her parents, this applies to many more people globally. But yes, it does not seem right for people to show too much affection during Valentine’s Day at school since it is a place for learning.  

Valentine's Day is a day of love for a lot of people to show their love for each other, but for many more, it can be a day of depression and loneliness. This does not just apply to couples but to anybody who wants to celebrate relationships with people they care about.  

What do you think about Valentine’s Day?

Should it still be celebrated?