TRUE LOVE or commercialism at its peak?
From the stories of Catholic saints to affordable celebrations, we help you get ready for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is celebrated on Feb. 14 across the United States and many other countries around the world. It is a time for chocolates, flowers, candy, jewelry and other gifts. Love birds spent nearly $24 billion on Valentine’s Day in 2022. But you don’t have to spend big money to celebrate. Here’s what’s known of the history behind the holiday and some ideas of how to celebrate on a budget and still give the message of love.
St. Valentine legend
The history behind the holiday is a bit of mystery. The Catholic Church recognizes three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus; all were martyred.
One story is Valentine was a priest who served during the Third Century in Rome. Emperor Claudius II decided single men made better soldiers and so outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages in secret. When the actions of Valentine were discovered, he was put to death.
Another story tells that Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, is the namesake of the holiday. He was beheaded by Claudius II. Still another story is of Valentine helping Christians escape harsh Roman prisons and being killed for his work. And there’s the legend of an imprisoned Valentine and a young girl who visited him during confinement. He wrote her and signed the letter “from your Valentine,” an expression that’s been used throughout time. All of the stories include Valentine as sympathetic, heroic and romantic.
There are also legends of Valentine’s Day being linked to the pagan celebration of Lupercalia, a fertility festival dedicated to the Roman god of agriculture. The festival was outlawed at the end of the Fifth Century when Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 St. Valentine’s Day.
And there’s Cupid
We’ve all seen Cupid on Valentine’s Day cards and decorations as a naked cherub shooting arrows at unsuspecting lovers. The Roman God Cupid is the Greek god of love.
Traditions
Valentine’s Day is common for engagements, weddings and even mass weddings of hundreds of couples. Relatives and friends have also become part of the celebration with expressions of affection. I remember making a Valentine’s Day box from a cereal box for the exchange of valentines with classmates in elementary school. All shades of red are associated with Valentine’s Day, so look for your red attire for Feb. 14. Because it was thought that the bird mating season begins in mid-February, birds are also a symbol of Valentine’s Day.
Cards and gifts
In the middle of the 18th century it was common for friends and lovers to exchange symbols of affection or the long-lost art of handwritten notes. By 1900 printed cards started to become popular. Early greeting cards had real lace, ribbons and colorful art.
Despite the rise of commercialism and consumer spending, romance today does not need to be expensive. You can:
■ Bake a favorite treat and package it in a special way with a romantic note.
■ Bake a heart-shaped cake (no need for a special heart pan). Use a square pan and a round pan. Cut the round cake in half and place the halves on two adjoining sides of the square pan. With frosting, the seams won’t show.
■ Watch the sunset together from almost anywhere in New Mexico. It will be cool, so snuggle under a blanket.
■ If it is too cool to be outdoors, have an indoor picnic complete with a blanket on the floor. Use disposable plates and utensils so no one has dishes to clean.
■ Play romantic music at home and close dance.
■ Exchange handmade cards and handwritten notes.
■ Include paper rose petals or heart cut-outs you make from construction paper as decorations or with your card or gift.
■ Buy local if you decide to give a gift, and watch for specials to stretch your dollars.
■ Enjoy a meal at home you make together. Dim the lights. Take your time to enjoy each other’s company — meaning no TV, computer or cell phones.
■ Give a handmade, personalized coupon book with special favors your sweetheart can use at any time.
■ Place heartfelt messages around your home for your sweetheart to find and collect.
Thinking creatively about how to show your love, the message will be received. Enjoy.